Environmental Pollutants
Other Contaminants
|
Lockwood, MT: Weitz & Luxenberg responds to reports of PCE contamination
Lockwood, MT - PCE Contamination Press Release
September 26, 2006, New York, NY
In response to news that the
Environmental Protection Agency is investigating possible PCE vapor intrusion into homes in Lockwood,
Montana, nationally recognized mass torts and personal injury law firm Weitz
& Luxenberg, P.C., reaffirms its ongoing dedication to hold polluters
responsible for the hazards they wreak on our communities. A forerunner in the
legal fight against environmental polluters, the firm has worked with clients
harmed by Methyl Tertiary Butyl Ether (MTBE), asbestos, chromium, fluoride, lead
and PCE, among other toxins. We represent over 50 water providers whose wells
have been contaminated with MTBE and several communities around the country for
the personal injuries and property damage they have suffered as a result of
pollution.
Tests earlier this summer revealed that vapors from the underground pollution
in Lockwood, a neighborhood southwest of downtown, were seeping up through the
soil to the foundation of several homes, the Billings Gazette reported. The EPA
has returned to the area—known as Billings PCE Site—to determine the extent of
the size of the plume and how many other homes may soon be a target.
Of
the contamination, Robin Greenwald, Head of the firm’s Environmental Toxic Torts
Unit said, “Citizens should not have to feel unsafe in their own homes. When
companies mishandle chemicals that migrate into groundwater and ultimately into
the air in people’s homes, those companies should have to pay for the injuries
and damage to property their unlawful conduct causes.”
Greenwald is a
longtime advocate for environmental protection. Before joining Weitz &
Luxenberg, she was an environmental clinical professor of law at Rutgers School
of Law and Executive Director, Waterkeeper Alliance, an international non-profit
environmental organization devoted to protecting water bodies around the world.
Before that, she was the chief of the environmental unit at the United States
Attorneys Office in the Eastern District of New York and Assistant Chief of the
Environmental Crimes Unit of the US Department of Justice in Washington,
D.C.
The groundwater beneath about 500 acres in Billings has been
contaminated with chemicals commonly used in dry cleaning. They include
tetrachloroethene (PCE), and its breakdown chemicals, trichloroethene (TCE),
dichloroethene (DCE) and vinyl chloride. Depending on the potency of the plume,
property damage from future vapor intrusion could devastate affected
homeowners.
About Weitz & Luxenberg: Weitz & Luxenberg, founded
in 1986, is one of the leading plaintiffs, mass torts, product liability, and
personal injury litigation law firms in America. A forerunner in the legal fight
against environmental polluters, Weitz & Luxenberg has worked with clients
harmed by MTBE and other toxins. The firm has played leading roles in national
and local litigations involving asbestos, DES, silicone breast implants, medical
malpractice, and general negligence, among others. The firm has won numerous
cases involving dangerous pharmaceuticals, including Vioxx, achieving a $13.5
million verdict against Merck & Co. (docket No. ATLL129605).
People
who have been injured by environmental pollutants can contact Weitz &
Luxenberg. Interested parties should call the Client Relations department at 1
(800) 476-6070 or via e-mail by writing to clientrelations@weitzlux.com. You may
also visit our website at www.weitzlux.com
see also:
W&L Vapor Intrusion Release
Lockwood, MT Vapor Intrusion--A dangerous environmental concernVapor Intrusion in Lockwood, MT--Weitz & Luxenberg press release
W&L Press Release
Weitz & Luxenberg responds to PCE contamination in Lockwood, MTPress Release: Weitz & Luxenberg on PCE contamination in Lockwood, MT
Alert for Lockwood, MT
Residents of Lockwood, Montana: Learn about the local danger lurkingConcern for Lockwood, Montana safety due to ground water pollution
