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Water contamination lawsuits overview:
- Who: A Maryland non-profit and residents in Hawaii and Pennsylvania filed lawsuits this month against Trinseo, Altuglas, the United States of America and Fleischmann’s Vinegar Co.
- Why: The lawsuits revolve around contaminated drinking water.
- Where: The complaints were filed in Pennsylvania, Hawaii and Maryland federal courts, respectively.
A Maryland non-profit and residents in Hawaii and Pennsylvania filed a trio of complaints this month over claims concerning polluted drinking water sources.
The lawsuits come amidst a class action lawsuit investigation of contaminated drinking water at the North Carolina Marine Corps training facility Camp Lejeune.
The Camp Lejeune investigation involves military veterans and their families who stayed at the training facility between the 1950s and 1980s and may have been exposed to dangerous carcinogens in the water supply.
Last year, the Biden administration passed the Camp Lejeune Justice Act, enabling veterans to take legal action against the federal government for any illnesses or injuries they suffered as a result of being exposed to tainted water at the training facility.
Trinseo, Altuglas contaminated Delaware River with chemical spill, class action says
A group of Philadelphia residents filed a class action lawsuit against Trinseo and its subsidiary Altuglas earlier this month over claims a chemical spill originating from a plant in Pennsylvania led to dangerous chemicals contaminating the Delaware River.
The Delaware River is the primary drinking water source for 914,000 Philadelphia residents, according to the class action lawsuit, which argues the companies were negligent by allegedly allowing the contamination to occur.
Philadelphia residents argue an overflow of latex emulsion entered a storm drain and flowed from a creek into the drinking water source.
“Residents continue to live in fear that their tap water is not or will no longer be safe, thus requiring residents to go to the store and purchase bottled water or take other actions in response to the chemical spill,” the Trinseo class action states.
Philadelphia residents claim the leaked chemicals can cause adverse health effects, such as nausea, headaches, eye, skin and respiratory irritation, among other medical issues.
Honolulu residents argue US responsible for 2021 contamination of primary drinking water source
Also this month in water contamination lawsuits, a group of Honolulu residents filed a class action lawsuit against the United States, arguing the government bears responsibility for a 2021 event that contaminated their primary drinking water source.
Honolulu residents claim their drinking water was contaminated after operators at the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility allegedly made an error that caused pipes to rupture and spill “highly toxic jet fuel” on the island of Oahu in November 2021.
“The United States must be held accountable for the harm it has caused,” the Honolulu drinking water class action states. “System operators had a duty to act reasonably and didn’t. The Navy had a duty to clean up its mess. It didn’t.”
Honolulu residents argue that the Navy ultimately conducted an investigation that determined the spill was due to human error and the result of a failure to “comply with applicable laws, rules, regulations and standards.”
Fleischmann’s Vinegar Co. contaminated Jones Fall stream, suit says
Environmental group Blue Water Baltimore filed a lawsuit against Fleischmann’s Vinegar Co. Inc. earlier this month over claims the company violated the Clean Water Act by allegedly contaminating water in the Jones Fall stream.
The environmental group argues that while Fleischmann’s is allowed to send dechlorinated water into the Jones Fall stream, the company has released other unallowed chemicals, leading to a pair of large fish kills.
Fleischmann’s is specifically accused of releasing chemicals into the Jones Fall stream via both an unauthorized metal pipe and through cracks in its concrete foundation, with contaminants allegedly discovered to be leaking from the metal pipe on seven occasions.
The environmental group claims that, on two occasions, the contaminants allegedly leaking from the metal pipe included nitrogen, ammonia, chloride, fluoride, nitrate and sulfate.
Have you been impacted by these water pollution lawsuits? Let us know in the comments!
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One thought on Maryland non-profit, Hawaii, Pennsylvania residents file water contamination lawsuits
Tap water in Anne Arundel county Maryland always tasted unpleasant. However, lately it is affecting taste of coffee or pasta. My house hold cannot continue to use our tap water for anything other than dishwashing. The current water ruins coffee or anthing else that it is used for cooking. Now, we even have to use bottled water for brushing our teeth. Whatever has gotten into our water supply is causing a huge inconvenience not to mention what it could do to our health.