Benzene Leukemia Law Blog : Benzene and Leukemia Lawyer & Attorney : Burke & Eisner Law Firm : Benzene Exposure, Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma

Gude Landfill in Montgomery County, Maryland, is seeping – and has been seeping for years – hazardous chemicals such as benzene, mercury and lead into area groundwater. In some cases, the contaminant levels are as much as ten times higher than what the Environmental Protection Agency allows.

Now, state environmental officials and a group of concerned citizens are seeking data from the county regarding the toxic contamination. The county has kept records on the contamination since shortly after the landfill stopped operating in 1982, but has failed to report the results to the Maryland Department of the Environment.

Residents at Risk?

A representative from the county’s Department of Environmental Protection said there is no evidence linking the pollution to health effects in the community, though some residents have suffered years of toxic exposure.

Benzene is a known cancer-causing chemical and has been linked to rare cancers such as acute myelogenous leukemia and non-Hodgkin lymphoma. The spokesperson for the local DEP said the residents’ drinking water has not been contaminated, but added that kids and pets should not play in nearby Rock Creek.


 

 

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More than $900,000 was paid to eight plaintiffs involved in an ongoing legal battle against Kerr-McGee Chemical, the plaintiffs’ benzene exposure attorneys announced this week. The lawsuit was originally filed in 2005, and the company has delayed payment to the plaintiffs since an arbitration decision last year.

Tronox LLC, which now owns Kerr-McGee, recently filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and in January asked for relief from payment under that filing. Attorneys for the plaintiffs argued that the company had sufficient funds in at least five different accounts to pay the money owed, and Tronox was finally obliged to pay.

Plaintiffs Claimed Health Problems from Toxic Exposure
Kerr-McGee manufactured railroad ties at its Avoca, Pennsylvania plant for approximately 40 years, releasing extremely toxic chemicals – such as benzene, arsenic and creosote – into the air. The original lawsuit involved nearly 3,500 plaintiffs who claimed they developed cancer and other health problems as a result of exposure to these chemicals.

 

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According to reports, a new law was recently passed in the state of Oregon regarding ‘topping off” while at the gas station. The new law was approved this past December and will go into effect on July 1, 2009. The state passed the new law in an attempt to reduce the amount of gasoline vapors being emitted into the air at various gas stations throughout the area.  

However, this new ‘topping off’ ban has drawn criticism from gas-station owners who claim that their customers will be prevented from filling up their cars completely. And, let’s face it, the gas-station owners might be losing a buck here and there. Though public-health advocated insist that this new rule is necessary in an attempt to lower the amount of benzene that is released into the air to harm the environment and community.  

Why the Controversy?

Gas-station owners are insisting that the government’s ‘topping off’ law is vague, and could cost them sales. But when a vehicle is ‘topped off’ with gasoline, gasoline is caused to spill and as a result benzene is sent into the air.  

Benzene is a known carcinogen that has been linked to various forms of cancer including leukemia. When benzene is ingested, inhaled or handled, it has been known to not only cause life-altering illnesses, but can even lead to death. And this is why environmentalist and the government are taking action to cut the amount of benzene released into the air wherever they can, loss of sales or not.  
Oregon’s new standards are reportedly aimed at reducing emissions of benzene by about 28 tons each year and other volatile organic compounds by an estimated 1, 610 per year.  
 


 

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Members of the Edison Wetlands Association, an environmental group in New Jersey had been holding protests in front of the Basell USA chemical plant claiming that they are exposing the community to benzene. The group claims that the plant has been seeping toxic chemicals into the local Raritan River.

The rally, which began on November 12, has drawn over 20 people who have remained committed to seeking answers regarding the toxic leak for weeks. However, despite the obvious signs that benzene is still a problem in the area, Executive Director of the EWA, Robert Spiegel, denies that benzene is still seeping into the river.

"We wanted to make sure we have a more public presence here, so that the companies know that we are going to be out here every two weeks until they clean this up, because this is a disaster, this is an environmental disaster area out here, and for them to leave it one day is, in my opinion, borders on criminal," says Spiegel.

Benzene Problems Persist

The area surrounding the river has been an ongoing subject of debate due to questions regarding whether benzene is still putting the community at risk. The environmental group claims that toxic chemicals, like benzene, from the plant have been improperly contained in the ground and water. This has resulted in extensive damage to the plant and animal life in the surrounding areas and has also created a public health hazard.




 

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Residents in Cadillac, Michigan, are voicing their concern over groundwater contamination in Cedar Creek Township. According to reports, a local resident recently had samples taken from trees on his land, which is about one mile northwest of Wexford County landfill, due to his growing concerns that they were contaminated by dangerous chemicals.

Months later, Donald Alger discovered that his original intuition was correct and the trees were indeed contaminated with four types of volatile compounds. Results showed that the trees were contaminated with benzene, toluene, styrene and tetracloroethylene.

Land Contaminated with Benzene

The land, which was originally purchased to serve as the home to Alger’s shiitake mushroom growing operation, was found to be highly contaminated with benzene and other toxic chemicals. As a result, not only were all of the plants ruined, but these chemicals were seeping into the neighbor’s yards and contaminated their land and groundwater as well. Alger immediately knew exactly who to blame, the nearby landfill.

DEQ Fights Back

The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality reportedly has been attempting to fight back against Alger and his claims regarding the landfill being the place to blame. However, Alger isn’t the only one pointing fingers, the entire community is up in arms and are concerned that they could now be the victims of benzene exposure.

Benzene is a highly toxic carcinogen that can be potentially fatal to those who inhale, ingest or handle it over an extended period of time. Since many of the plants on Alger’s land just showed signs of harm recently, residents are concerned that this benzene issue could be something that was ongoing without their knowledge.

"They’ve dirtied up my property," stated Alger.

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Recent findings have proved just how at risk we are of acquiring some form of cancer these days, particularly due to all of the pollutants and chemicals in our air, food and water. Research shows that a majority of cancers are inflicted by the environment. Chemicals like benzene, which is typically used as an additive in gasoline and is used in the production of synthetic rubbers and dyes, are slowly killing us.

Among the environmental risks that are putting us most at harm at indoor and outdoor pollution and the chemicals we are unknowingly exposed to at work, that infest our foods and are used in the manufacturing of our plastics. Although some of these chemicals are more toxic than others, like benzene. none of them are beneficial. In this increasingly fast paced world full of traffic, new technology and more supplies, we as humans can be exposed on a daily basis to things we inhale, ingest and absorb on our skin without our knowledge.

Harmful Toxins All Around Us

When we inhale harmful toxins like benzene and asbestos, the effects can be extremely damaging to our hearts, lungs and nervous systems. In the short term benzene exposure can cause sneezing and watery eyes, but in the long term, this known carcinogen can cause the development of fatal illnesses like leukemia and lung cancer.

Among the items that we are in contact with daily that could cause serious health problems are:

• Air Fresheners
• Aerosol Sprays
• Dry Cleaning Fluid Fumes
• Kerosene Heaters
• Floor Tiles
• Gasoline
• Soda
• Cigarette Smoke

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