nuclear-news

Companies blamed for ‘cancer cluster’ – Lawsuit claims drinking water contaminated with radioactive sources

By: Dan Krauth

Posted: 08/19/2013

West Palm Beach, Fla. – New water tests conducted over the past few months in The Acreage show there are high levels of radioactive material in the water, according to lawsuits recently filed in South Florida.

In the lawsuits, attorney Jack Scarola claims two South Florida companies, Pratt & Whitney and Palm Beach Aggregates, are responsible for the high levels. Business practices led to the alleged radioactive material getting into the groundwater, according to the lawsuit.

Neither company is releasing any comments related to the lawsuits or allegations. But, in a letter from an attorney for Pratt & Whitney sent to Scarola, the company claims the testing is incomplete and contains inaccurate data.

Back in 2009, the health department confirmed a pediatric cancer cluster in the acreage.

The lawsuits are twofold. First, the attorney is trying to get “class action lawsuit status” from a judge. He wants money for the up to 10,000 homeowners who live in the acreage. He claims the negative stigma of the “cancer cluster” designation caused property values to decline.

Second, Scarola wants personal damages for the parents of four children who developed brain cancer over the past few years.

Pratt Whitney released this statement to the WPTV Contact 5 Investigators:

“Pratt & Whitney maintains a comprehensive environmental, health and safety program that protects the environment, our employees and others in the surrounding communities. On Aug. 16, Searcy Denney filed suit against the company.  While we have yet to be served with the complaint, we believe the lawsuit, based on comments from Searcy Denney’s recent press release, lacks merit and we will vigorously defend the company.”

Palm Beach Aggregates has not released any comments related to the lawsuits or allegations.

Scarola will be holding a news conference Tuesday afternoon where he is expected to go over the results of the testing in more detail.

August 20, 2013 - Posted by arclight2011part2 | Uncategorized