Chicago suburbanites sue over contaminated groundwater
By Brian Cole
Published on April 21, 2006
About 80 homes and 150 residents are affected in the unincorporated Chicago suburb of DuPage. The suburb is close to a 543-acre landfill that was closed in 1998 and is now covered with dirt and grass.
The suit claims vinyl chloride, a colorless gas used in manufacturing, has seeped into groundwater that feeds wells used by local families for drinking water.
The potential multi-million dollar lawsuit is seeking class action status.
The Forest Preserve District of DuPage County and BFI Waste Management Systems of North America, Inc., which manages the landfill, are named as defendants in the case. Plaintiffs seek compensation in order to provide themselves with safe drinking water, reimbursement for lost property values and punitive damages.
The suit alleges the operators of the landfill knew for years that the landfill posed a groundwater contamination danger but failed to inform area residents.
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