New York State Supreme Court Judge Patrick McGrath has granted Class Action Status to Weitz and Luxenberg's P.F.O.A. water contamination case in Petersburgh.
The lawsuit alleges that the release of P.F.O.A. from the Taconic Plastics manufacturing facility, contaminated the town's drinking water and surrounding environment, causing health problems in the community and a decrease in property values.
James Bilsborrow, an attorney in the Environmental and Consumer Protection Unit at Weitz and Luxenberg, tells WGY that the 1500 people affected by the contamination need testing and monitoring.
"There are a number of individuals in Petersburgh who drank water contaminated with P.F.O.A., then received blood tests that confirmed that P.F.O.A. had accumulated inside their bodies, and we believe that these folks should have a medical monitoring program that allows them to be tested regularly."
Bilsborrow says if the monitoring program reveals that the P.F.O.A. accumulation begins to develop into a disease, those affected can get an early diagnosis and early treatment.
"I think this is a great victory for the people of Petersburgh, they've experienced a lot of bad news, the residents there haven't done anything wrong, and they're just trying to seek remediation for their health and their community."
Taconic Plastics has acknowledged its role in creating this environmental hazard.
In 2016, the State D.E.C. declared the Taconic facility a Superfund site.
In addition to the Petersburgh case, the firm is also helping residents in Hoosick Falls, who were exposed to P.F.O.A. from a manufacturing facility, operated by Saint-Gobain and Honeywell.
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