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Illinois homeowners within a one-mile radius of a chemical fire so large it could be seen on weather radars are taking class action against the chemical plant where the fire happened.
Plaintiffs Stephanie Mackey and Nick Migliore filed the class action lawsuit against Chemtool and The Lubrizol Corporation Friday in Winnebago County Circuit Court, saying the companies are responsible for displacing and endangering hundreds of people, the Chicago Tribune reports.
The class action lawsuit comes after the Chemtool industrial lubricant plant near Rockford exploded June 14 and burned for days.
According to reports, black smoke from the fire spread over an area so large it was visible on weather radars. The fire forced an order that homes and businesses within one mile of the fire be evacuated, while it was brought under control.
The Chicago Tribune reported that 1,000 nearby residents were ordered to evacuate due to the fire, and that black smoke could be seen for miles, as well as falling debris.
The effects were felt so widely that Winnebago County public health officials asked residents within 3 miles of the fire to wear face masks and gloves to pick up any waste that might fall on their properties.
The new class action lawsuit claims people are suffering health issues from the smoke, and from having to go back to their homes and properties that are now covered in debris.
“As a result of the explosion and fire, Rockton residents and others have experienced nuisance-level discomforts (respiratory difficulty, malodorous smell), their properties were covered with debris, and they generally have been impeded from using and enjoying their property, including their outdoor spaces,” the lawsuit says.
The plaintiffs are looking to represent other residents who were displaced from at least 150 other homes, the lawsuit reportedly says. They are seeking damages and an injunction that would force Chemtool and Lubrizol to “remediate” the situation.
Chemtool was acquired by Lubrizol in 2013, the Chicago Tribune reports.
Another large explosion led to the second-largest class action settlement in U.S. history six years ago.
In April 2010, the Deepwater Horizon oil rig, operated by oil company BP, exploded in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Louisiana, killing 11 workers and injuring 17.
The explosion caused thousands of barrels of oil to leak into the gulf for months. The federal government and five states on the Gulf of Mexico reached a $20 million settlement with BP in October 2015.
Do you think Chemtool and Lubrizol should compensate homeowners? Let us know in the comments!
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