Historic class action filed regarding St. Louis history with radioactive wastes

Residents and businesses impacted by St. Louis’ 75-year history of transporting and storing radioactive waste proved their lack of patience in awaiting redress of their health and property losses related to decades of unwitting exposure to toxic carcinogens: Two class action lawsuits were filed in the 21st Judicial Court of St. Louis County against numerous corporations and public agencies, including St. Louis Airport Authority.

National and local trial attorneys, led by St. Louis lawyers Ryan Keane of Keane Law and A. Gray of Johnson Gray Law, represent the private citizens. The legal team has successfully litigated against companies and corporations associated with radioactive waste for many years.

Tamia Banks and other property owners within the Coldwater Creek flood plain of St. Louis County headline the residential class action.  They seek damages against Cotter Corporation, Commonwealth Edison Company, Exelon Corporation, Exelon Generation Company, LLC, DJR Holdings, Inc. f/k/a Futura Coatings, Inc., and the St. Louis Airport Authority, a department of the City of St. Louis.

John Kitchin and North West Auto Body Company headline the class action against Bridgeton Landfill, LLC, Republic Services, Inc., Allied Services, L.L.C., and Rock Road Industries, Inc.

“The residents and business owners of St. Louis are exhausted by both the reckless and outrageous actions and failure to act by these corporate and public actors who generated, disposed of and controlled the radioactive waste brought to this area in the 1940s and the height of the Second World War,” said Mr. Keane. “We seek remediation for the damages suffered by those harmed and relocation of this extremely toxic materials which are known carcinogens that gravely harm families.”

The Coldwater Creek class action contains all properties in the 100-year creek flood plain, as bounded by St. Charles Rock Road to the southwest and Old Halls Ferry Road to the northeast in St. Louis County. (click here for map)

The Bridgeton Landfill Class Action contains all the properties located within the 11.0 square mile geographic region in the vicinity of the West Lake Landfill bounded by the Missouri River to the west and a line south of Rt. 370 to the north, with the eastern boundary following a southerly line across Old St. Charles Rd. before crossing the residential area lying to the south of the landfill. (click here for map)

It is well documented that since World War II, big companies have made significant profits processing, handling, and storing radioactive materials in the St. Louis area which are extremely toxic and which were moved around, stored and dumped in areas that flooded and contaminated neighborhoods, playgrounds, and business areas. Some radioactive materials were used to build structures unwittingly inhabited by St. Louis residents.

Studies have long confirmed these radioactive wastes are known human carcinogens that can cause chronic damage to the skin, reproductive system, blood- forming system, digestive system, central nervous system, and immune system, in addition to numerous cancers. Impacted properties in the two class actions have radioactivity well above normal levels.

“This is a major civil rights case where the rights of citizens have been trampled. These legal actions are the only way to protect the moms, dads, children and small business owners who invested everything in their properties to build the American dream for their families,” said Civil Rights Attorney A. Gray. “These everyday St. Louisans now find their lives disrupted, their homes contaminated, their businesses upended, and their properties devalued. They find their once-quaint neighborhoods filled with technicians testing and prodding their backyards and the dust of their vacuum cleaners to identify the quantity and the toxicity of the radioactive material Defendants have dumped into their lives.”

”These corporate and public actors have failed to take responsibility for their reckless actions,” said Mr. Keane. “Businesses, like North West Auto Body and others in North County, have lost revenue and customers as a result of these hazardous, toxic, carcinogenic, radioactive wastes. Residents in Coldwater Creek are facing a major environmental catastrophe which has contributed to their lost sense of security.”

Interested citizens and property owners are urged to visit stlouisradvictims.com or coldwatervictims.com or call Mr. Keane and Mr. Gray at (800) Law-2620.

Link to this release:
http://www.brylskicompany.com/press-releases/historic-class-action-filed-regarding-st-louis-history-with-radioactive-wastes
 
Links to the court filings:
Coldwater Creek:
http://www.brylskicompany.com/press-releases/coldwater-creek-class-action-petition

Bridgeton:
http://www.brylskicompany.com/press-releases/bridgeton-landfill-class-action
 
Link to the maps noted in the release:
http://www.brylskicompany.com/press-releases/access-st-louis-class-action-maps-here

Media inquiries contact C. Brylski/D. Johnson (504) 897-6110 or (504) 460-1468/[email protected] or [email protected]