WOBURN TOXIC TRIAL

1. This landmark case centered on the alleged contamination of two

municipal supply wells (G and H) in Woburn, Massachusetts, by three
local industries.
2. Discovery began in September 1984.
3. The plaintiffs were a group of eight families that lived in a part of
town served by the two municipal wells.
4. The defendants were W.R. Grace & Co., owner of the Cryovac Plant,
UniFirst Corporation, owner of Interstate Uniform Services, and
Beatrice Foods, Inc., owner of the John Riley Tannery.
5. Children of seven of the plaintiffs contracted leukemia. Five of the
children died from leukemia or complications of having leukemia.
The spouse of one plaintiff contracted acute myelocytic leukemia and
died.
6. The suit was filed in May 1982 in Middlesex County Municipal Court.
7. The case was assigned to Judge Walter J. Skinner.
8. The trial lasted 4 years from 1982-1884 in September
9. The plaintiffs and W.R. Grace reached an $8 million settlement before
Judge Skinner's official ruling was made. The settlement included
monies for five other families that had filed a separate lawsuit
against W.R. Grace and Beatrice for health effects other than
leukemia.
10. The case was interesting leaving aside the victims who died. I
also liked how it showed the dark side of the American company,
which for many years produced chemical compounds that caused
serious illnesses and I think it was good the agreement was reached,
obviously the money was not going to bring back the victims who
died.