Lawyers in DuPont C8 trial get more time for depositions
September 02, 2004
By Ken Ward Jr.
Staff writer
Source: The Charleston Gazette
Trial has been delayed another month in a case in which thousands of Wood County residents allege DuPont Co. poisoned their drinking water.
Jury selection will start Oct. 12, with open arguments to begin on Oct. 25, according to an order from the Wood Circuit Court.
The trial had been scheduled to begin Sept. 20.
Lawyers in the case sought a delay so that they could complete additional depositions, a court spokeswoman said.
DuPont is defending itself against a class-action lawsuit brought on behalf of thousands of plant neighbors who allege the company poisoned their air and drinking water with harmful levels of C8.
C8 is another name for perfluorooctanoate, and is also known as perfluorooctanoic acid, or PFOA.
At its Washington Works plant, DuPont has used C8 for more than 50 years in the production of Teflon.
For years, C8 — and DuPont’s emissions of it — has been basically unregulated. But in the past few years, C8 pollution from the plant has come under increasing scrutiny.
DuPont has settled at least one lawsuit over C8 contamination for an undisclosed amount of money.
Company officials deny any wrongdoing, and say that they believe C8 is safe.
