Woburn Contamination Crisis: Leukemia, Pollution, and Litigation, Slides of Water and Wastewater Engineering

Download Woburn Contamination Crisis: Leukemia, Pollution, and Litigation and more Slides Water and Wastewater Engineering in PDF only on Docsity! “A Civil Action” The true story of groundwater contamination, leukemia, and litigation in Woburn, Massachusetts • Civil suit brought by 7 families against 3 corporations. • Suit alleged that contamination of public water supply wells G and H in Woburn, MA caused leukemia deaths of plaintiff’s children. • Alleged source of contamination was illegal dumping of organic solvents by defendants. Anne Anderson et al. v. W.R. Grace et al. • 1964 - City of Woburn drills well G in swampy, industrialized floodplain of Aberjona River. Several years later, well H is installed. • 1965 onward - residents complain of foul-smelling water. Repeated testing by state health officials reveals no health hazard. Technology of the time only able to detect mineral contaminants. • 1972 - Jimmy Anderson is diagnosed with leukemia at age 4. • 1976 - first attempt to measure organic contaminants. High readings prompt state official to dismiss results as a calibration error. • May 22, 1979 - both wells closed down permanently after high levels of chlorinated organic solvents confirmed. History of wells G and H Docsity.com • 1982 - Seven families file a lawsuit against three corporations citing contamination of land around wells G and H. • 1986 - Trial begins, lasting 78 days. One corporation is acquitted, two settle without admitting guilt. • 1983 - EPA declares wells G and H a Superfund site. • 1990 - EPA and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts reach a $69.45 million settlement with W.R. Grace & Company, UniFirst Corporation, New England Plastics, Beatrice Company, Wildwood Conservation Corporation and John J. Riley, Jr. for the cleanup of contaminated properties and additional studies. History of wells G and H Aberjona River - Salem Street Bridge Well G Docsity.com The Defendants Beatrice Foods - Riley Tannery Unifirst W.R. Grace Wells G, H Plaintiff’s neighborhood Anne Anderson et al. v. W.R. Grace et al. William Cheeseman Michael B. Keating Jerome P. Facher Judge Skinner Jan Richard Schlichtmann Docsity.com John Guswa Hydrologist Expert witness, W.R.Grace John Drobinski Geologist Expert witness, Plaintiffs Docsity.com