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POMPTON LAKES - Brockovich no-shows, but attorneys come
(by Leslie Scott - Staff Writer - October 07, 2008)
Staff photos by Joe Sarno
A large crowd of residents concerned about their rights regarding the latest DuPont findings filled the Pompton Lakes High School auditorium Monday night to get questions answered and learn more about the New York City-based law firm Weitz and Luxenberg.
POMPTON LAKES - A large crowd packed the high school auditorium during the evening of Oct. 6 to discuss air quality and find out what could be done to get back what has been lost at the hands of DuPont.
Residents who live above an area where the former DuPont explosives plant contaminated the ground water, an area also called the plume, were originally invited by the New York City-based law firm Weitz and Luxenberg to hear one of its consultants, environmental advocate Erin Brockovich, speak.
Brockovich was invited to talk because more than 20 years after the original discovery of the contamination, indoor air sampling tests taken recently revealed that vapors are rising out of the ground from the water. These vapors contain tetracholorethane (PCE) used often as a component of aerosol dry-cleaning products and tricholorothene (TCE), which is used as a solvent for cleaning metal parts.
To remove the vapors, DuPont is trying to sample the air at every home in the affected area and install systems that would remove the vapors.
Brockovich, who is known for a movie about her own pollution battle, could not make it, but the audience still got to speak with firm attorney Robin Greenwald.
Greenwald talked about how the firm, if retained, could pursue this case under the state’s nuisance and trespass laws.
DuPont Public Affairs Manager Roberto Nelson said the company was not aware of the meeting until that afternoon and no one was sent to represent the company.
Right now DuPont is not focused on any type of litigation.
Although environmental advocate Erin Brockovich of TV movie fame failed to show, Weitz and Luxenberg attorney Robin Greenwald presented background information on environmental litigation and fielded questions from audience members. The scene was Pompton Lakes High School.
“The important thing for us is to continue doing what we are doing. And that is coordinating the work plan with the NJ Department of Environmental Protection, meet with homeowners and work as quickly and as efficiently as possible to design systems and put these mitigation systems in homes,” said Nelson.
During the meeting, it was said that many residents in the plume were offered $5,000 from a 1997 settlement from DuPont. To obtain that money, they also signed a release form that stated if they accepted the money no future lawsuit would be filed.
Greenwald said signing this could prevent those homeowners from seeking additional damages, but the firm would like for each homeowner to send a copy of the release so they can see the wording.
During the meeting residents brought up a variety of concerns about all of this.
One stood up and said she could not sell her home. She found a buyer but the bank would not approve the mortgage because the home is located in a contaminated area.
One man who lives on Howard Avenue said he has blood cancer and another woman said her daughter is pregnant and she is concerned for the health of both of them.
Another resident stood up and said a mitigation system was installed in his parents’ home. It is noisy and shakes the entire side of the house.
Greenwald said all of this information is important for the firm to know.
Residents who want to be part of the lawsuit were asked to fill out a retainer. The firm also asked them to fill out a chemical exposure fact sheet, which would help explain to the firm their individual issues.
| Comments (1) |
On October 9, 2008 Tina said:
My maiden name was Tina Marsh I lived at 41 Walnut Street and my family was one of the 1st set of plaintiffs in the original lawsuit, get yourselves a lawyer! We moved away in 1991 and are still having effects of what was done to us by Dupont. My children are now 17 & 15 and both are having major health problems as am I and the rest of my family. Don't let them get away with this again. Get lifetime medical - we got hush money so our medical expenses have run us all into bankruptcy. |
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