Benzene News

November 15, 2003

Benzene Levels Cause Study of Indoor Air Quality in Homes
The results of a 1995 study finding higher than expected levels of benzene in Anchorage homes has led to a grant for further research. The University of Washington and the Municipal Department of Health and Human Services have accepted the grant for a study the indoor air in Anchorage homes with attached garages. The study will involve air samples from 50 homes, in an effort to understand the way that air moves from attached garages into the living areas of houses.

November 14, 2003

Kerr-McGee Reps Discuss Cleanup of Treatment Plant Site
The residents of Avoca Borough met with officials to discuss the contamination of Kerr-McGee's property, including testing and cleanup of the site to comply with the state's land recycling program. Kerr-McGee company representative Robert Pounds and Joseph Brogna of the state Department of Environmental Protection were on hand, and heard from borough officials and residents, many of whom voiced concerns about exposure to toxins. The Oklahoma-based company used the site to pressure-treat wood for railroad ties, closing in 1996 after 32 years in operation.

Although officials from Kerr-McGee claim to have only learned about contamination on the property in the past few years, many residents, including Councilwoman Mary Ann Tigue, found it difficult to believe that the company was unaware of the carcinogens it released into the air and groundwater. A Luzerne County judge recently approved 29 out-of-court settlements, the largest for $450,000 in a wrongful death lawsuit. The company also settled another wrongful death suit for $234,550. Over 1,000 residents concerned about the health effects of the plant have joined class action lawsuits against Kerr-McGee.

The suits claim that plant workers used benzene, arsenic, and creosote (all classified by the EPA as probable carcinogens) to pressure-treat railroad ties, which were then left outside to dry. The rain and wind conditions caused the treated would to emit odors and toxins, contaminating air, soil, and groundwater.

The representative claimed that plans to clean up the property, and has entered an agreement with the state that would allow Kerr-McGee to avoid liability if the land is cleaned to the state's satisfaction. After passing inspection, the property could once again be used as an industrial or commercial operation.

November 14, 2003

Energy Bill Threatens to Weaken Anti-Pollution Regulations, Claim Experts
An Energy bill scheduled for unveiling on Saturday contains special interest, anti-environment provisions that threaten the protection of our nation's land, air, and water, according to environmental experts from Earthjustice. The group claims that the co-leaders of the Energy conference, Senator Domenici (R-NM) and Representative Tauzin (R-LA) included language tat would weaken protections, exempt certain oil and gas activities from Clean Water Act requirements, and amake America's public lands widely available for oil and gas drilling. Activists fear that the new bill would allow previously unpermissable levels of benzene and other pollutants to enter the air and water sources.

For more information about how this legislation may put you and your loved ones at risk, contact a National Benzene Attorney.

November 5, 2002

IBM Built "Conspiracy of Silence" While Exposing Workers, Claim Plaintiffs
Former employees of IBM Corporation testified that the company knowingly exposed them to carcinogens, while concealing that fact from its employees. Alida Hernandez, an IBM retiree who worked for 14 years at a disk-drive plant in San Jose, had liver damage and a mastectomy following her diagnosis with breast cancer during her tenure at IBM. She and former coworker James Moore, who suffers from non-Hodgkins lymphoma, are suing IBM for an unspecified sum that would include medical bills, lost wages and pain and suffering, as well as punitive damages. Robert Weber, an attorney representing IBM, has claimed that "every human being has a remarkable set of factors and conditions that may elevate their risk of developing cancer," adding that Hernandez's diabetes and Moore's smoking in the 50's and 60's may be responsible for their cancers, rather than the benzene, formaldehyde, and arsenic they were exposed to at their jobs.

Hernandez testified Wednesday that IBM has a history of encouraging concealing the nature of the chemical contents to which she was exposed. She was once awarded a $100 spot bonus for slamming the receiver when a stranger called her work station to inquire about a disk coating. She also

This case is one of 257 related lawsuits, and the first to go to trial.

To learn more about class-action and individual lawsuits against companies like IBM, contact a Benzene Attorney.

March 1, 2002

In Providence, Rhode Island, a family was forced to move out of their home after the Pascoag water contamination resulted in high levels of benzene in their home. The residents of Pascoag had contaminated tap water and were unable to use it for four months due to the gasoline additive MTBE.

December 19, 2001

Cars pose high risk for benzene exposure
A study found that new cars contain vinyl and plastic materials that emit gases containing carcinogenic chemical benzene. This Benzene Exposure is characterized by that "new car smell". Commuters driving in polluted cities may think that using the air conditioning instead of opening the windows to pollution is posing as a better health measure. In fact, "it's about two to ten times more polluted inside a vehicle on a congested freeway or a major street," according to Mel Zeldin of the Air Quality Management District. Carcinogenic chemicals, including benzene, can become trapped inside your car from the exhaust of the vehicle in front of you. The 1996 estimates from the EPA by the North Carolina Public Interest Research Group showed that 63 counties exceeded the level for benzene in vehicle exhaust.

December 14, 2001
$11.2 million waste case settlement for benzene infested New York waters
One of the largest hazardous waste case settlements was negotiated in December 2001, because Exxon Mobil Corporation was illegally polluting New York waters with benzene. The settlement amount is inclusive of $8.2 million in civil penalties and $3 million for buying and restoring land in New York City. The suit was first filed in 1996 by the government against Mobil Oil Corp. for mismanaging benzene-contaminated waste at its petroleum products storage and distribution terminal. The human carcinogen, benzene, was a regulated hazardous waste as of 1990. The settlement had Exxon admit liability for discharging hazardous waste between the years 1991-1993 into two large artificial ponds without a permit and legally required environmental protection. EPA officials found through testing.

January 13, 2001
After the September 11th attacks, the outpour of selfless acts was tremendous. Firefighters raced to save victims at the disaster site, but recently medical experts believe years from now they have a risk of developing cancer. There was 1.2 million tons of debris that was at Ground Zero containing dangerous chemicals including benzene. The chemical is a carcinogen that has been found to cause leukemia.

April 2000
Benzene found in cigarettes responsible for acute myeloid leukemia deaths
University of North Carolina Chapel Hill studies assessed the proportion of all types of leukemia and acute myeloid leukemia that is attributable to benzene in cigarette smoke. The researchers calculated that benzene is responsible for 8-48% of all smoking-induced leukemia deaths, as well as 12-58% of all smoking induced acute myelogenous leukemia. Other studies have concluded that benzene is most strongly associated with acute myelogenous leukemia. Benzene exposure affects industrial workers 10-100 times greater than smokers. OSHA and the EPA have set workplace benzene standards but the number of at risk benzene workers continues to remain high.

April 20, 1999
A database of information is now available online allowing people to find out what hazardous pollutants exist in their area. The Environmental Defense Fund, an environmental advocacy group, has compiled the database. Information includes 188 air toxics listed under the Clean Air Act tat includes industrial chemicals, solvents, metals, pesticides, and combustion by products. Benzene is listed as one of six of the unhealthiest air pollutants from mainly gasoline emissions.

04/06/03 - Dangerous Chemicals Found In More Wells
Palm Beach Post - Jennifer Sorentrue

Cancer-causing chemicals found in gasoline have been identified in nine more wells in Old Palm City, a finding that Martin County Health Department officials say shows water contamination in the neighborhood is spreading.

04/04/03 - Whistle Blower Wins Lawsuit
Judge orders WTI worker reinstated to job at incinerator
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette - Don Hopey

Donna Trueblood worked on the "drum crew" at the WTI hazardous waste incinerator in East Liverpool, Ohio, not beating music time but keeping track of barrels of incoming waste.

02/28/03 - Jury Awards S.A. Family $17M In Landfill Case
Family Blames Toxic Chemicals For Daughter's Leukemia www.clickonsa.com

A jury awarded a San Antonio family $17 million after the panel concluded that a now 8-year-old girl developed leukemia due to toxic chemicals from a city landfill.

01/14/03 - Risk of Cancer Is Great In Ohio River Village
AP -

People who lived near the New Boston Coke plant during the 1990s are more at risk for cancer than almost anyone else in the world, state officials said.

01/03/03 - State To Propose New Rules For Gas Cans
AP -

If you believe that you have been exposed to benzene you should report your suspicions to your employer and be tested. Several tests can measure your exposure to Benzene. There is test for measuring benzene in the breath which must be done shortly after exposure. Benzene can also be measured in the blood. However, benzene disappears rapidly from the blood and test results are only accurate if the test is performed after recent exposure.