CLYDE, OH (Toledo News Now) - A lawsuit filed by families in the Clyde Cancer Cluster says dust samplings done in the attics of their Clyde homes in March revealed benzaldehyde.
The families allege benzaldehyde is a cancer-causing chemical that was used by Whirlpool in its manufacturing process.
"The filing of the suit against the likely producer of this compound is to give Whirlpool the chance to test our attics and then step up, clean them up, and in addition, make right the wrong that has been committed against our community," said Warren Brown, who lost his daughter Alexa to brain cancer in 2009.
Before Alexa died, Brown made several promises to her.
"I told her that we would find out why, and how, this happened to her, and that I would not relent until every door and window was nailed so tightly shut that it could not be open," he said.
Benzaldehyde is defined as a hazardous substance by the EPA, and attorneys for the families say it was found in every single home they tested in eastern Sandusky County.
The chemical was not found in any home tested in the western part of the county.
The lawsuit also claims that benzaldehyde and other chemicals from the nearby Whirlpool plant caused Alexa's cancer, and that of several other children who also died or were sickened.
Whirlpool Corporation has released the following statement regarding the lawsuit:
"We are aware of the filing and we are evaluating these new allegations. We will vigorously defend Whirlpool, its employees, and the community against these allegations. Whirlpool has been a part of the fabric of the Clyde community for more than 60 years and we remain committed to acting responsibly."
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