Emerson Power Transmission, Emerson Electric Company, BorgWarner Inc. and Burns International Services Corporation are facing a potential class action lawsuit over environmental contamination and related health issues.
The suit, brought by 90 residents of South Hill, New York, alleges that the industrial solvent trichloroethylene (TCE) has contaminated their homes and consequently reduced their property values and increased their risk of future illness.
TCE is carcinogenic at high levels. Reportedly, the Morse Chain factory in South Hill was the source of TCE contamination. The 4 companies named in the suit all relate to the Morse factory: BorgWarner owned the factory until 1983; when Emerson Electric Company bought it, they re-named it Emerson Power Transmission; and Burns International Services Corporation used to be called Borg-Warner Security Corporation until 1999.
The suit alleges " In disregard of its legal duties, Defendants negligently, wantonly and recklessly, with conscious indifference and disregard to human life and the rights and safety of the Plaintiffs, released toxic and hazardous environmental contaminants into the air, soil and groundwater of the City of Ithaca and the neighbourhoods of the Plaintiffs' residences."
Documentation obtained by the plaintiffs that originated in the 1960s, reportedly related warnings from the Tompkins County Health Department to Borg Warner regarding oil from its facility leaking into neighbors' back yards. The suit also claims that the Health Department told BorgWarner that its disposal of waste into city sewers is completely illegal. The state department of Environmental Conservation contends that the primary contamination pathway was the city sewer system.
Additionally, evidence from interoffice memos between employees at Morse Chain show that they were aware of the illegal dumping of TCE and that it was extremely toxic in all forms.
