Contamination Spurs Class-Action Against Raytheon

A Pinellas County attorney filed a class-action lawsuit today against the Raytheon Corp. on behalf of residents who may be affected by contaminated groundwater in the Azalea area of St. Petersburg.

Joe Saunders said he was contacted several weeks ago by Linda and John Swartout, residents of the Azalea neighborhood.

The Swartouts filed their suit after a WFLA, News Channel Eight, TBO.com and Tampa Tribune investigation revealed that chemicals such as vinyl chloride, 1,4-Dioxane and trichloroethylene that came from Raytheon's plant on 72nd Street are contaminating groundwater in the neighborhood.

Saunders said he wants Raytheon to pay for medical screening of people in the neighborhood and that the stigma of contamination already has diminished property values.

The Swartouts are alleging they "have suffered economic losses in diminution to the value of their properties, possible cost of mandatory cleanup of the toxic seepage, and face an unreasonable risk of serious health problems due to exposure to these toxic contaminants."

The state Department of Environmental Protection and Raytheon officials are on record saying the plume of groundwater poses no health risk.

Saunders plans to hold a news conference detailing his lawsuit in Azalea Park at 3 p.m. today. He said as many as 1,500 residents, from about 900 homes, could be part of the suit.

Saunders is a law partner of Rep. Rick Kriseman of St. Petersburg, who expressed concern over the matter last week.

Kriseman, a Democrat, sent a representative to a community meeting Thursday night where residents discussed the pollution and legal options with lawyers from Washington and New York.

Saunders says Kriseman's interest in the problem is not connected to the civil action he plans to file today.

Saunders says that "as a state legislator, Rep. Kriseman's mission will continue to focus on the welfare of all his constituents."

The DEP has known about the pollution for 16 years and knew three years ago that the pollution under the Raytheon plant was moving into the neighborhood, public documents show.

The state agency signed a consent order with Raytheon's predecessor, E-Systems, in 1995 that required a thorough evaluation and cleanup of the underground pollution.

Neither Raytheon nor DEP told residents an underground contamination plume was moving from the plant site into the neighborhood.

Kriseman says he was in the dark until he saw the news stories.

"I represented that district for six years [as a city council member] and never knew about it for the entire time I represented them," Kriseman said.