An Oklahoma firefighter has filed a new firefighting foam lawsuit against a variety of defendants—including firefighting foam manufacturer 3M—seeking compensation for injuries he suffered after using firefighting foams. Aqueous Film Forming Foams (AFFFs) are specialized substances made to extinguish petroleum-based fires. They have been used…
In December 2018, the U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation (JPML) consolidated federally filed firefighting foam lawsuits involving claims of per- or polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) contaminating groundwater near various military basis, airports, and other industrial sites. Aqueous film-forming foams (AFFFs) are highly effective at dousing…
Amidst growing concern about toxic chemicals in firefighting foams, researchers have been studying blood samples in firefighters to identify the potential health risks associated with the profession and its use of potentially toxic products. So far, results show that firefighters have higher levels of these…
Let’s talk again about the environment. We have seen efforts to save our environment by individuals, non-profits and companies. Everyone seems concerned with reducing our carbon footprint, is willing to give up straws and commit to regular recycling. Yet, still in the world today we…
Disease outbreaks like the emerging coronavirus pandemic that erupted out of Wuhan, China, during the first weeks of 2020 affect much more than people’s health. For instance, one of my first thoughts when I read that health care services conglomerate Cardinal Health recalled millions of…
About a year ago, the Pennsylvania Department of Health and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) opened an investigation into a possible cluster of cancer cases in Washington County, which is one of the state’s busiest natural gas-producing areas. Of particular concern…
Dark Waters hits theaters today. The movie tells the true story of a corporate environmental defense attorney who follows two farmers’ hunch that a DuPont plant was knowingly exposing a West Virginia community to dangerous chemicals. This movie brings to light a shocking issue involving…
After suffering losses in three key Roundup cancer lawsuits, manufacturer Bayer recently announced its plans to investigate an alternative to glyphosate, the main herbicide in Roundup. In a June 2019 statement, the company revealed that it would invest about 5 billion Euros “in additional methods…
There has been a sharp increase of U.S. lawsuits alleging Monsanto’s weed killers such as Roundup and Ranger Pro brands are causing cancer. The increase comes after August 10, 2018, when a San Francisco jury awarded $289 million in a landmark case claiming that Roundup…
A series of natural gas explosions rocked the Merrimack Valley Thursday evening leading to the evacuation of large sections of Lawrence, Andover, and North Andover. Massachusetts State Police say there were over 70 reports of explosions, fires, and gas investigations. Fire crews from across the…