Lawsuit Filed Against Owner/Operator of Lisbon, Ohio Area Landfill Contaminated by Asbestos, Other Pollutants

Complaint and preliminary injunction filed against owners of a Lisbon, OH area landfill for alleged violations of federal and state environmental regulations. Asbestos violations and other problems at the landfill have caused noxious airborne pollutants to contaminate the air in the area.

If you or a family member has been affected by asbestos contamination and been diagnosed with mesothelioma, asbestos lung cancer or asbestosis, you can obtain important information regarding your legal rights and options from our attorneys.

On March 11, 2010, the Lisbon Morning Journal reported on legal action filed against the owners of a salvage landfill company and four individuals that allegedly own property at the landfill site for a number of violations of both federal and Ohio regulations regarding the handling of environmental pollutants, including asbestos-containing materials (ACM) and debris.

The injunction asks the Court to order the landfill company to cover the 42-acre dump site with an additional 12 inches of cohesive earthen materials within six weeks of the order, and also requests that the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) be granted immediate access to the landfill site.

While the landfill stopped operating in 2009, the community has been plagued by hydrogen sulfide which has contaminated the air and has caused a number of those in the area to be become sick.

The lawsuit filed against the company alleges that the landfill owners allegedly:

Failed to properly dispose and cover asbestos, surround the asbestos disposal site with fencing, post asbestos warning signs, maintain equipment to wet asbestos or prevent dust emissions from asbestos operations;

Accepted pulverized debris and solid waste prohibited at a construction and demolition debris (C&DD) landfill;

Created an environmental hazard and nuisance from the hydrogen sulfide odors coming from the landfill;

Failed to manage surface water at the landfill, causing the water to leach into a nearby creek; and

Failed to comply with previous orders to implement an explosive gas monitoring plan.

Lisbon, Ohio Families At Risk for Asbestos Disease, Other Health Problems
The landfill owners alleged failure to protect the community from exposure to asbestos places all those who live or work in the area at risk to develop an asbestos-related disease. Because the time between exposure to the cancer-causing mineral and when symptoms of an asbestos disease can be first diagnosed is 30-40 or more years (known as latency periods), all those who face possible exposure also face a lifetime risk to eventually develop any number of serious diseases caused by exposure to the carcinogen.

During the decades-long latency period, microscopic asbestos fibers that are trapped in the lungs can cause healthy lung tissues to scar. Over this long period, the scarring can cause chronic breathing diseases such as asbestosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), emphysema or pleural plaques disease to develop.

Tragically, for many other asbestos disease patients, the scarring and damage to the lungs will cause abnormal growths to develop in the lungs, leading to diagnoses of asbestos lung cancer or mesothelioma cancer.

How Weitz & Luxenberg Can Help
If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with an asbestos-related disease, we may be able to help you to seek justice for your illness and file a lawsuit on your behalf.

Please complete the form on this page for a free and confidential review of your potential asbestos lawsuit or request a free copy of our asbestos sourcebook. A Weitz & Luxenberg representative will contact you as soon as possible.