Which environmental cases taken on by newly hired Cumberland lawyers have been successful?
The Cumberland County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously June 21 to hire three law firms to investigate potential claims against Chemours, a Bladen County facility producing the chemical compound GenX that's been detected in area wells. Seagle Law of Asheville, Baron & Budd of Washington D.C., and Crueger Dickinson LLC of Wisconsin, will advise the county on whether to pursue action. In early June when the move toward legal action against Chemours was proposed to the county commissioners, County Attorney Rick Moorefield said that Baron & Budd and Crueger Dickinson litigated approximately 90% of the nation's environmental suits. Here are some cases they have successfully handled. Nationwide drinking water contamination  According to Baron & Budd's website, the firm handled a case on behalf of more than 150 water providers and 17 states concerning drinking water contaminated with methyl tertiary butyl ether. Methyl tertiary butyl ether is an additive in unleaded gasoline, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In 2008, the firm reached a settlement with some of the gas companies, including BP/Amoco, to pay costs to rid the water of MTBE. Refiners were ordered to cover the costs associated with treating wells that may become contaminated over the next 30 years, the website states  Water contamination in Tucson, Arizona  Also among Baron & Budd's wins is a case against the city of Tucson, Arizona, the Tucson Airport Authority and an aircraft manufacturer after groundwater was contaminated with trichloroethylene, according to Baron & Budd's website. The firm represented 1,600 people in the lawsuit. Trichloroethylene is primarily used as a metal degreaser and can produce toxic gas upon combustion, according to the National Library of Medicine. The solvents used by the plane-making company seeped into the water causing cancer and "other diseases" at "epidemic levels," the website reads. The case, filed in 1985, didn't reach its conclusion until 2006, according to the website. Gas contamination in Wilmington  J. Harold Seagle, of Seagle Law, and Scott Summy, now with Baron & Budd, represented 178 mobile home park residents in the first case to explore the dangers of octane enhancer, methyl tertiary butyl ether, according to reports from The Fayetteville Observer at the time. A jury found Conoco liable for fraud and negligence in covering up gasoline leaks that contaminated well water. The result: a $36 million settlement. Ongoing case: PFA contamination in Wisconsin  In February, more than 125 people who live in French Island, Wisconsin, filed claims against the city of La Crosse after it announced earlier this year that 40 private wells had been polluted with per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance, according to reporting by the La Cross Tribune. Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances are man-made chemicals that don't break down, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. GenX, which is at the center of Fayetteville's issue, is considered a PFA. The Tribune reported that a firefighting foam used at the area's airport was the cause of the pollution. The city of La Crosse is also taking legal action, except its case is against the company that make's the foam, the Tribune reports. Crueger Dickinson and Napoli Shkolnik PLLC, who are representing the city of La Crosse, filed suit against 23 chemical manufacturers in March, the Tribune reported. Government watchdog reporter Abby Church can be reached at achurch@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter @abbschurch. Support local journalism with a subscription to The Fayetteville Observer. Click the "subscribe'' link at the top of this article.