The EPA has put the figure at 0.07 parts per billion. Currently, none of the options developed are, from a fine powder business standpoint, economically attractive and would essentially put the long term viability of this business segment on the line.”, DuPont discovers C8 in the drinking water at dangerous levels, yet doesn't tell the government or public, instead increases production and discharge, DuPont internal document: “I am concerned about possible [C8] contamination of the Washington Bottom aquifer, which is used not only by DuPont but also by neighboring industrial sites and the Lubeck Public Service District.”, DuPont internal document: “Wilmington management is concerned about the possible liability resulting from long term C8 exposure to our employees and to the population in the surrounding communities and those down river from the Plant. . © 2020 WWAY-TV3. To read more, click Dupont C8 High Cholesterol Science Panel, Probable Link Evaluation of Pregnancy Induced Hypertension and Preeclampsia: there is a probable link between exposure to C8 and pregnancy-induced hypertension. DuPont researchers recommend a study of workers' liver enzymes. We live, work and play right here in the Cape Fear. WASHINGTON – Today DuPont, Chemours and Corteva announced a cost-sharing agreement worth $4 billion to settle lawsuits involving the historic use of the highly toxic “forever chemicals” known as PFAS.. DuPont was for decades a leading U.S. manufacturer of PFAS chemicals, which it used to make Teflon and other nonstick products. . NASA is considering a second firing of its moon rocket engines after a critical test came up short over the weekend. 3M, the manufacturer of C8, performs a study on monkeys and determines that even modest exposure to C8 can have devastating health effects. ", DuPont consultant writes: "The constant theme which permeates our recommendations on the issues faced by DuPont is that DUPONT MUST SHAPE THE DEBATE AT ALL LEVELS. we should have checked this years ago and taken steps to remedy. The last time UNCW Baseball was on the field was March 11th, 2020. In 2017, DuPont and Chemours, a company created by DuPont, agreed to pay $671 million to settle thousands of lawsuits. You can only imagine what has not been turned over and was destroyed. Dow DuPont merger spells uncertainty in West Virginia When coal miners can’t breathe, getting compensation is an uphill legal battle The agrarian roots of Pappy Van Winkle bourbon whiskey . To read more, click Dupont C8 Cancer Science Panel, Probable Link Evaluation of High Cholesterol: there is a probable link between exposure to C8 and diagnosed high cholesterol (hypercholesterolemia). On February 13, 2017, a global settlement in the amount of $670 million was reached with our team of lawyers and DuPont. ", DuPont internal document: “We are going to spend millions to defend these lawsuits and have the additional threat of punitive damages hanging over our head. Chemours sued DuPont in 2019, claiming that DuPont’s liability estimates were “spectacularly wrong.” The case was dismissed in 2020 over procedural issues. Since we don’t know the ultimate effect of C8 on the human body and that the potential liability resulting from C8 exposure is large, it seems prudent to minimize the release of C8 to the environment.”, DuPont internally classifies C8 as ‘c’ which indicates “possible human carcinogen”, DuPont internal document: "Due to concern around the persistence of C-8 in blood, Dr. Karrh restated his position that we should continue to place high priority to reduce the general public’s exposure to C-8”. As part of a class action settlement against DuPont, an independent group of public health scientists were chosen to assess whether or not there is a probable link between C8 exposure and various diseases. Below are a few of the important rulings that have been made to date in the C8 litigation. A DuPont meeting is called to discuss the continuing production of C8. There is obviously great potential for current or future exposure of members of the local community from emissions leaving the Plant perimeter.”. The group adds Chemours was created in 2015 when DuPont spun off its chemical division, in part to limit liability relating to PFAS chemicals. In Ohio, they included the Little Hocking Water Association; the City of Belpre Tuppers Plains – Chester Water District; and the Village of Pomeroy. Still, investors in Chemours awaited what multiple of the $5.1 million in compensatory damages the jury might grant for punitive damages, and sent the company’s securities above pre-verdict levels on July 8 when, after one day of testimony, the jury awarded a tenth in punitive damages of what they awarded in compensatory damages. The very improbability of that verdict demonstrates much that is flawed about the way this country regulates potentially dangerous chemicals. DuPont cites to potential liability with doing it, and decides: "Do the study after we are sued." The longtime NFL coach Marty Schottenheimer has died. Three people were taken to the hospital, including a police officer, Monday evening following a fire in Wilmington. After Bilott sent out his packages of evidence, however, DuPont’s relationships to government agencies shifted dramatically. [Expletive] him. Levin Papantonio Rafferty - Personal Injury Law Firm, Martindale-Hubbell Preeminent Woman Attorney, $380 Million in Environmental Pollution Case, The Florida Bar disclaimer regarding posting testimonials is available, The Columbus Dispatch - C8 $670 Million Settlement, The Parkersburg News - Expanded C8 Testing Areas, The Columbus Dispatch - C8 Jury Awards Punitive Damages, West Virginia Record - $2 Million C8 Verdict, The New York Times Magazine - DuPont C8 Nightmare, The Huffington Post - Parkersburg, West Virginia C8 Contamination, The Intercept - DuPont Misleads EPA in C8, Earth Island Journal - The Toxicity of Teflon, The New York Times Magazine - DuPont C8 Toxic Chemical, Dupont C8 Pregnancy Induced Hypertension and Preeclampsia Science Panel, Dupont C8 Ulcerative Colitis Science Panel, Order on Defendant's Motions for Summary Judgment as a Matter of Law on Punitive Damages, Order on Defendant’s Motion for Judgment as a Matter of Law or, Alternatively, for a New Trial and Remittitur, Order on Defendant's Motions for Summary Judgment Related to Punitive Damages, DuPont, Chemours reach agreement over PFAS Forever Chemical, EPA Says Chemours Should Switch to Less Dangerous PFAS, Corporate Polluter Chemours Under Investigation, Pregnancy-induced hypertension (including preeclampsia). According to a release by Environmental Working Group, DuPont was for decades a leading U.S. manufacturer of PFAS chemicals, which it used to make Teflon and other nonstick products. Published in The Columbus Dispatch - C8 $670 Million Settlement, The 0.07 ppb threshold is the new lifetime exposure level the EPA issued last year, based on protection for the sensitive populations of fetuses during pregnancy and breastfed infants. ", A DuPont scientist warns that C8 is so hard to deal with that "it might require the public to wear 'gas masks'", DuPont in-house attorne writes: "A debacle at best, the business did not want to deal with this issue in the 1990s, and now it is in their face, and some still are clueless. Liability was further defined as the incremental liability from this point on if we do nothing as we are already liable for the past 32 years of operation. “It’s long past time that the polluters pay for their malicious drive toward profits over public health.”. Bilott has spent more than twenty years litigating hazardous dumping of the chemicals perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS). We are especially grateful for the latter, so far only DuPont has been saying there are safe levels, we need to have an independent agency agree, we are hoping it would actually agree to higher levels than we have saying, if for no other reason than we are exceeding the levels we say we set as our own guideline, mostly because no one bothered to do the air modeling until now, and our water test has completely inadequate (until next week). Website Design & Hosting by ChartLocal. The verdict included damages from DuPont's negligence and a finding that the company’s conduct was malicious. The series was halted, however, early Saturday morning following COVID-19-related protocols within the UNCW program. The lawsuit involving C8 alleged that DuPont released millions of pounds of the chemical into the Ohio River and into the air from its plant in Parkersburg, West Virginia, causing thousands of persons to suffer injuries, including kidney and testicular cancer, and ulcerative colitis. We'd love to hear from you. DuPont is a manufacturer of the plastic material, Teflon, in Parkersburg, West Virginia, USA. In West Virginia, they included the Lubeck Public Service District, and the Mason County Public Service District. With no mandatory safety testing for the vast majority of the tens of thousands of chemicals used daily in America, doctors and public health officials have little information to guide them as they seek to identify potential health hazards – including the chemical, called C8, that DuPont knowingly allowed to pollute Bartlett’s drinking water. Very poor leadership, the worst I have seen in the face of a serious issue since I have been with DuPont.”, DuPont in-house lawyer writes: “Had a good meeting with EPA Friday, we told them we are getting drinking water concentrations this coming Thursday using a new test method and they better fasten their seat belts, we expect readings way above what our old method was getting . The program allows you to get a free blood test and free doctor's visit to determine whether you have suffered any diseases that could be caused by C8 exposure. More than 30 years ago DuPont became aware that C8 was in drinking water in Ohio and West Virginia at dangerous levels, yet said nothing to the government or public. Feb. 13, 2017 – San Diego, CA — DuPont has agreed to pay more than $670 million in cash to settle thousands of lawsuits accusing the company of poisoning local water supplies with a chemical once used to make Teflon. 7, Buccaneers beat Chiefs 31-9, UNCW Men’s Basketball games postponed UPDATE, Former heavyweight champion Leon Spinks Jr. dies at 67, Coastal Christian girls lead from start to finish in win over Liberty Christian, 1224 Magnolia Village Way, Leland, NC 28451. However, an independent science panel consisting of three epidemiologists determined that the chemical can cause high cholesterol, kidney cancer, pregnancy-induced hypertension, testicular cancer, thyroid disease, and ulcerative colitis. After conducting eight years of exposure and health studies, the science panel reached the following conclusions: C8 has been so widely used in America for so long that it can be found in the blood of more than 99% of all Americans, newborn human babies, breast milk, and umbilical cord blood according to the Centers for Disease Control. . If you worked 12-hour shifts at DuPont’s Towanda, PA facility between November 2009 and December 31, 2018 and were required to don equipment/gear and/or engage in shift relief, a class action settlement may entitle you to a payment and affect your rights. In 2001, residents brought a class action against DuPont over C-8 exposure. "The [expletive] is about to hit the fan in WV,” the company’s in-house attorney, Bernard J. Reilly, wrote in an email to his colleagues. DuPont and Corteva stocks were up relative to the overall market Jan. 22, the day the settlement was announced, while Chemours shares were roughly flat. Chemical & Engineering News ISSN 0009-2347 DuPont discovers C8 exposure linked to the enlargement of rats' testis, adrenal glands, and kidneys. . Pender County Schools will start class on a two-hour delay Thursday, January 28, due to weather conditions. The malicious ruling allows the jury to consider a possible punitive damages verdict in addition to the compensatory damages. ", DuPont in-house attorney writes: "Mostly more bad news with the Parkersburg surfactant [C8] in drinking water, the crap is everywhere. A settlement was reached with DuPont in the original (Leach v. E. I. DuPont) class action lawsuit. To view other publicly available rulings, visit C8 MDL Rulings. On February 13, 2017, a global settlement in the amount of $670 million was reached with our team of lawyers and DuPont. The settlement benefits individuals who worked 12-hour shifts at DuPont’s Towanda, Pa. facility between November 2009 and Dec. 31, 2018 and were required to wear equipment and/or engage in shift relief. A new study finds that tropical cyclones around the globe are getting closer to land than previously, except for Atlantic hurricanes. Teflon was, until 2013, produced with Perfluorooctanoic acid, or PFOA or C-8. In 2012 DuPont was named to the Carbon Disclosure Project Global 500 Leadership Index. ", DuPont in-house lawyer writes: "[C8] is the material 3M sells us that we poop to the river and into drinking water, along the Ohio River", DuPont in-house attorney writes: "Got a call about 2130 when in bed last night from one of our engineers worrying about our technique for measuring surfactant [C8] at Parkersburg. DuPont determines that employees working around C8 had higher rates of abnormal liver function tests. The farmer, Wilbur Tennant of Parkersburg, W.Va., said that his cows were dying left and right. The entire settlement was approved and ratified by the Court on February 28, 2005. C8 (also known as Perfluorooctanoic (PFOA)) is a man-made chemical known as a “surfactant” because it is very slippery and reduces the surface tension of water. Published in Time Magazine - Teflon Chemical Exposure, In the case of PFOA, DuPont brazenly dumped its toxic waste into a creek that ran through a pasture where farmers grazed and watered their cows, causing grotesque malformations and deaths among the animals. It was a game that ended in walk-off win for the Seahawks over rival ECU. We must implement a strategy at the outset which discourages governmental agencies, the plaintiff’s bar, and misguided environmental groups from pursuing this matter any further than the current risk assessment contemplated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the matter pending in West Virginia. . The settlement comes as DuPont and Dow Chemical Co expect to close their $130 billion merger later this year. Ultimately, Chemours securities are up after the week’s events but dropped initially on July 6 after a jury found DuPont liable for punitive damages (the amount of which the jury still needed to determine) and $5.1 million in compensatory damages for causing David Freeman ’s testicular cancer. Published in The Intercept - The DuPont C8 Case, During the five decades in which DuPont used and profited from C8, the company had only infrequently discussed the chemical with environmental authorities, and it kept most of its extensive internal research on the chemical confidential. UNCW Head Softball Coach Kristy Norton has announced the Seahawks' 2021 schedule, which includes 42 regular season games. However, now … Four Coastal Christian players scored in double-figures on Thursday night as the Centurions took care of business against Liberty Christian Academy, 67-27. The science panel consisted of Dr. Tony Fletcher of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine; Dr. David Savitz of Brown University in Providence; and Dr. Kyle Steenland of Emory University in Atlanta. With the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, this year's celebrations are going to be like no other. Here are some of the notes clients have sent us: To read our client reviews, visit our Testimonial page. Wilmington officers rescue woman from burning apartment; victim seriously injured, CFPUA: Chemours failing to meet obligations to reduce PFAS loading in Cape Fear River, Major winter storm moves from Midwest to East Coast to start week, Tropical cyclones are nearing land more, except in Atlantic, Pender County Schools: Two-hour delay for in-person and remote learners, Halted rocket test could stall NASA moon shot, redo possible, Winter storm coats Southern states with blanket of snow, Doppler radar in Shallotte undergoes upgrades to increase its longevity, Snow, ice expected in parts of South, with storms in others, Museum to display piece of old Southport weather tower damaged during storm, Marty Schottenheimer, NFL coach with 200 wins, dies at 77, Loaded with talent UNCW Baseball ready for big 2021, 25 home games highlight UNCW Softball’s 2021 schedule, Tom Brady wins Super Bowl No. Separately, DuPont, Corteva and Chemours have agreed to settle ongoing matters in the multidistrict PFOA litigation in Ohio for $83 million. . This combined trial is the first since the company entered a $670.7 million settlement to end roughly 3,500 pending cases in 2017 for plaintiffs seeking damages for illnesses allegedly stemming from DuPont’s pollution. . To read more, click Dupont C8 Thyroid Disease Science Panel, Probable Link Evaluation of Ulcerative Colitis: there is a probable link between exposure to C8 and ulcerative colitis. The settlement follows decades of Teflon production, followed by more decades of litigation. ?”, DuPont in-house attorney writes: “The business finally has decided that there is nowhere to hide so is becoming more aggressively responsible and open, that is a good thing that I have consistently been urging. Bilott’s revelations had the power to tarnish the company’s reputation and lead to huge legal and cleanup costs, so DuPont focused on weathering the scrutiny of regulators and keeping its name — and profits — unscathed. PFOA and other PFAS are called “forever chemicals” because they do not break down in the environment and are linked to cancer, reproductive and developmental harms, and reduced effectiveness of vaccines, according to EWG. A small piece of a Southport landmark may soon return to where it stood for more than a century. According to DuPont, the lawsuits involved in the Ohio MDL included about 30 wrongful death claims, 270 claims of testicular or kidney cancer, and more than 1,300 claims of thyroid disease. Unbeknownst to Bilott, his inquiry triggered a panic inside DuPont’s Delaware headquarters. This settlement does not prevent individuals injured by C8 from pursuing their own action if they did not receive compensation in the settlement, or if they later suffer a more serious injury arising from C8 that they were not compensated for in the settlement. Published in The Intercept - DuPont Misleads EPA in C8, Proving that DuPont was legally culpable for Bartlett’s kidney cancer required years of extraordinarily innovative lawyering – and at times some plain dumb luck. . The season would be canceled just days later due to covid-19 and lead to months of uncertainty. Facebook says it’s going all in to block the spread of bogus vaccine claims. Download the WWAY News and StormTrack 3 Weather Apps on your smart phone or tablet device to receive breaking news and weather push notifications the minute it happens. To determine whether you are qualified for medical testing, visit DuPont C8 Medical Monitoring Program. High School Job Shadowing Program/Senior Projects, DuPont, Chemours, Corteva reach $4B settlement on ‘forever chemicals’ lawsuits, Tar Heels sorry for breaching COVID-19 protocols, Seahawks celebrate Homecoming Week virtually this year. One of those victims was left with serious injuries and was taken to the burn center at UNC. Copyright © 1996-2021 | Policies & Disclaimers, Representing Personal Injury Clients Since 1955. Indeed, in 2014, the company reaped more than $95 million in sales each day. Additionally, numerous private water wells located within a certain distance of the six water districts were contaminated. The lawsuit names 3M, DuPont, the Chemours Company, Chemguard Inc., and a number of firefighting foam retailers at fault for endangering public welfare through their products. Over 100 million Americans were under winter weather alerts Sunday from Minnesota to Maine as a major winter storm continues to track eastward. Dark Waters Tells the True Story of the Lawyer Who Took DuPont to Court and Won. I go to Charleston Monday for a meeting Tuesday with WV regulators, we are also trying to convince them there is no emergency. . The news came Monday when DuPont issued a press release saying it had reached a settlement with plaintiffs’ attorneys in the Ohio multidistrict litigation (MDL). To date, the chemical has been found in drinking water in 27 states. ", DuPont in-house lawyer writes: “[C8] seems to get everywhere, to include drinking water, and then want to stay in human blood.”, DuPont in-house attorney writes: “We really should not let situation arise like this, we should have used a commercial landfill and let them deal with these issues, instead, the plant tries to save some money and apparently did not consider how it might look that this guy’s cows are drinking the rainwater that has percolated through our waste.”. A DuPont Adecco class action settlement worth $5 million has been reached to resolve claims that workers were denied wages. North Carolina’s players and managers have apologized for not following COVID-19 guidelines during a celebratory gathering after a win at rival Duke. Both companies have agreed to share the costs of certain qualified expenses over a period no longer than 20 years or an amount over $4 billion. . 3M notifies the EPA and DuPont of its conclusion, and 3M decides to stops producing the chemical. DuPont used C8 for decades in the manufacture of Teflon at its Washington Works plant, a practice ending with the settlement of a class-action lawsuit in Wood County Circuit Court. The release states that the binding memorandum of understanding establishes an immediate cost-sharing arrangement, including an escrow account worth upward of $1 billion to cover potential future legacy PFAS liabilities from before the spinoff. “We are pleased to be able to resolve these personal injury claims for our clients … in a way that provides compensation without the need for additional lengthy and expensive trials,” said Robert Bilott, an attorney with Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP who is co-lead counsel for plaintiffs in the Ohio litigation. There have been numerous individual lawsuits from victims of PFOA-related diseases. Spinks won gold at the 1976 Montreal Olympics, but he rose in prominence when he beat Muhammad Ali for the heavyweight title in 1978. Finally the plant recognizes it must get public first, something I have been urging for over a year, better late than never, we are hoping plaintiff does not get there the next couple days, we need about a week. Forecasters say a storm system will bring snow to some parts of the South and potentially severe thunderstorms to others. DuPont replaced C8 with a new chemical called Gen-X, which is already turning up in waterways. As part of the national litigation involving C8, our team of attorneys discovered the following facts and statements in DuPont internal documents. The settlement covers all of the C8 cases that were filed in federal court as of that date where the plaintiff suffered from a covered physical injury resulting from C8 being dumped into the Ohio River and into the air from the DuPont plant in Parkersburg, West Virginia. PARKERSBURG — A $670.7 million settlement in principle has been reached resolving the C8 lawsuits pending against DuPont, officials announced on Monday. The settlement was announced Monday during the trial of Moody's lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Columbus. Thousands of people were awarded millions of dollars from DuPont de Nemours, Inc. in a settlement after their drinking water was contaminated. Factual background. Only five states have placed drinking water limits on a handful of PFAS, and the EPA has the ability to test for only 29 PFAS in drinking water. When you see news happening, report it! It is expected to remain in the environment for thousands of years. DuPont has paid at least $400 million in settlements related to the chemicals so far. In fact, it increased its production, and continued to discharge the chemical in a manner to enter the Ohio River and air. Published in The Huffington Post - Parkersburg, West Virginia C8 Contamination, Last week a major new jury verdict in the C-8 multidistrict litigation against DuPont was issued. Other scientists believe concentrations as low as 0.0003 parts per billion can be life threatening. DuPont finds out that monkeys died when exposed to certain levels of C8. The agreement resolves approximately 95 pending cases as well as unfiled matters. The ratified settlement provided for payment of $70 million for a health and education project for the benefit of class members. The debt and equity rebounded almost completely after Chemours signaled to investors that night that there would be no more jury trials – and resultantly no more bad news of jury verdicts – until May 2017 when 40 cancer cases are scheduled to be tried in the MDL. That could bump the first flight in NASA's lunar-landing program into next year. Dupont settled 19 months later for $671 million, agreeing to pay half the settlement amount, and up to $125 million more toward costs of other PFOA-related litigation. By 2003, DuPont had dumped almost 2.5 million pounds of C8 from its Washington Works plant into the mid-Ohio River Valley area. We boned ourselves again, such is life in big and I suspect little companies. If you are also interested in the lawsuits involving perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), please review our PFAS Lawsuit page. Not a pretty situation, especially since we have been telling the drinking water folks not to worry. We learned recently that our analytical technique has very poor recovery, often 25%, so any result we get should be multiplied by a factor of 4 or even 5. DuPont in-house lawyer writes: "The [expletive] is about to hit the fan in WV, the lawyer for the farmer finally realizes the surfactant [C8] issue, he is threatening to go to the press to embarrass us to pressure us to settle for big bucks. I have been telling the business to out all the bad news, it is nice that we are now consulting with lawyers who are the best in the nation and have defended cases like ours that they are advising the same strategy. We're the most trusted source for way more local news. Family friend and former Kansas City Chiefs publicist Bob Moore says Schottenheimer died Monday night in Charlotte. Published in Reuters - DuPont C8 $5 Million Trial, Just months before Rob Bilott made partner at Taft Stettinius & Hollister, he received a call on his direct line from a cattle farmer. The safe level of human C8 exposure is not known. BLADEN COUNTY, NC (WWAY) — DuPont, Chemours and Corteva announced on Friday an agreement worth $4 billion to settle lawsuits involving the use of per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). Chemours paid … We celebrate community and we tell your stories. In 2004, DuPont paid $70 million in a class-action lawsuit and agreed to install filtration plants in the affected water districts.