Four companies are facing legal action after allegedly contaminating a Clinton, Missouri, farm with toxic chemicals and forcing its occupants to evacuate. As bad as that sounds, the extent of the contamination may be far worse, per KRCG News.
What's happening?
Bill and Sue Steward filed a lawsuit against the companies on January 17, claiming the contamination from nearby trucking activities associated with an energy services provider had spread throughout their home and property.
He said he had testing conducted that showed elevated hexavalent chromium levels, made famous by the Erin Brockovich case and associated film, along with elevated radium levels and other contaminants associated with fly ash.
"I've abandoned my house, I don't live there. It's in my home, it's in my cars, it's in my water," Steward said at a meeting with the county. "People are sick. My kids were sick."
But Steward's greater fear is that the contaminants are spreading well beyond his farm; a body of water on his property connects to two lakes: Truman Lake and Lake of the Ozarks. Both of these reservoirs serve as popular local destinations for swimming, boating, and fishing.
The contamination is already concerning enough to have caused the local school district to shut down. Thankfully, students have resumed classes at a nearby church, but the future safety of their schools remains in question.
The substances in question weren't confirmed, but the four defendants in the case were listed as Evergy Metro, Inc., Sutton Trucking Inc., Kansas City Fly Ash LLC, and Kissick Construction Co., Inc.
Of the more obvious potential contaminants that could be produced by those companies, fly ash is a coal waste product used in concrete, asphalt, and more. It can contain heavy metals, organic pollutants, and possibly even radioactive materials. It's considered a toxic environmental hazard, per research published in Chemosphere.
Why is this lawsuit important?
Convincing big companies to pursue sustainable, environmentally friendly practices is easier said than done and one of the reasons a regulatory body such as the Environmental Protection Agency can be so important to have adequate funding and governmental support.
However, lawsuits like these can potentially force companies' hands. Unfortunately, sometimes the only way to see the change we want is to hit these companies where it hurts them most: their wallets.
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Should Bill and Sue Steward see justice with this lawsuit, it may be a catalyst for reform. Future operations for these companies and others like them can potentially be safer and more scrutinized.
What's being done about pollution from big companies?
This lawsuit is far from the only of its kind. Iowa meat company Agri Star Meat & Poultry is facing legal action for allegedly dumping wastewater into a nearby river. A Florida nonprofit is also taking the state's environmental agency to task for allegedly failing to enact its own protective policies in Florida's springs.
Whether or not the Stewards' suit or any other wins the courtroom, they're still crucial actions for protecting our environment. If nothing else, they let major polluters know that we refuse to remain quiet about their planet-harming practices.
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