14 DAY TRIAL // A group of lawyers for 90 current and former residents of New York state joined their swords against the computer giant IBM in a lawsuit alleging that chemicals from an IBM plant have caused multiple and severe health issues among the population.
The residents of the area near the IBM plant complain that the disposed chemical waste caused congenital heart defects in infants, as well as kidney cancers in adults. Moreover, they continue to inflict health conditions to those who leave in the close proximity.
The accusation claims that IBM has released " hundreds of thousands of pounds of toxic and hazardous chemicals, including trichloroethylene (TCE), into the air, soil, and groundwater of Endicott" over a few decades now.
The lawsuit is also grounded on the fact that the area is surrounded by a toxic plume that exposes the inhabitants to hazardous chemical vapors. According to the lawyers in the Supreme Court for the State of New York in Broome County, more lawsuits regarding health issues are expected to be filled in.
The lawsuit comes at a time when the whole industry is focused on the environment and is expected to impact over IBM's business. However, the company lawyers reject the case itself: "As we explained to plaintiffs' lawyers before they filed this case, these suits have no basis in science or law, and IBM will defend itself vigorously," said IBM spokesman Michael Maloney.
IBM operated the plant from 1924 until 2002 and produced typewriters, mainframe computers, printed circuit boards, and integrated circuits. The company invested more than $2 million in cleaning up the disposed chemical waste.
The lawsuit seeks multiple financial damage, such as property devaluation and loss of business value and/or income, personal injury as well as punitive damages and attorneys fees. The company has an extended history of lawsuits that had been either settled or dismissed. For instance, IBM won a similar lawsuit in 2003, after two ex-employees alleged health conditions as a result from working with chemicals.