Law Firm Weitz & Luxenberg responds to local meeting on TCE danger in Dayton, OH

Environmental and health experts met with Dayton residents last week to discuss the dangerous plume that is now affecting the air quality in homes near the Behr-Dayton Thermal Products Plant on Webster Street. Contaminated groundwater tainted with trichloroethylene (TCE) is to blame for the toxic fumes, which are entering homes through their basements.

Of the contamination, Robin Greenwald, head of Weitz & Luxenberg’s Environmental Toxic Torts Unit said, “Citizens should not have to feel unsafe in their own homes. When companies mishandle chemicals that migrate into groundwater and ultimately into the air in people’s homes, those companies should have to pay for the injuries and damage to property their unlawful conduct causes.”

About 80 residents concerned with how the chemical might affect property values and their health, attended the public meeting, which was held by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, reported the Dayton Daily News. The EPA said it is seeking to expand air quality sampling north, east and west of the Behr facility to determine how many homes will need vapor abatement systems to help mitigate the contamination.

The EPA will assess groundwater data to gauge whether to conduct soil gas testing and indoor air and sub-slab gas sampling. The agency has stated that there will be no charge to area residents for the sampling or, if necessary, installation of the abatement systems.

The News reported that 17 of the 21 homes initially targeted by the EPA have been tested; 14 were found to need air systems to remove the vapor hazards. More homes, as well as area schools, may need to be evaluated as the EPA moves forward with its investigation. According to the EPA, indoor-air TCE levels that exceed the 0.4 ppb/v human health protective level require the installation of the abatement systems. Reportedly, the samples taken were all above .4 and the highest was 260 parts per billion.

Trichloroethylene (TCE), a chlorinated solvent, was widely used for metal degreasing in industrial operations and is now a common contaminant at hazard waste sites and many federal facilities. According to the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, breathing high levels of TCE over a long period of time can cause nerve, kidney and liver damage.

About Weitz & Luxenberg, P.C.:
Weitz & Luxenberg, founded in 1986, is one of the leading plaintiffs' litigation law firms in America. A forerunner in the legal fight against environmental polluters, Weitz & Luxenberg has worked with clients harmed by MTBE and other toxins. The firm has played leading roles in national and local litigations involving asbestos, DES, silicone breast implants, medical malpractice, and general negligence, among others. The firm has won numerous cases involving dangerous pharmaceuticals, including Vioxx, achieving a $13.5 million verdict against Merck & Co. (docket No. ATLL129605).

People who have been affected by environmental pollutants can contact Weitz & Luxenberg. Interested parties should call the Client Relations department at 1 (800) 476-6070 or via e-mail by writing to clientrelations@weitzlux.com. You may also visit our website at www.weitzlux.com