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Nitrate Water Contamination Litigation
The rise of factory farming has led to growing concern across the United States about the harm to individual and public health caused by industrial food operations. These damages are many and include personal injury, nuisance and devaluation of property as well as damage to the environment.
About Nitrate Water Contamination
One of the byproducts of industrial food operations is nitrate contamination of surface water and groundwater. Nitrate contamination results from overapplication of fertilizer to crops and from the vast quantities of manure generated by concentrated animal feeding operations, or CAFOs, where large numbers of poultry, swine, cattle or other animals are housed and raised in confined areas.
Nitrate contamination often occurs in rural areas that rely heavily on well water. In fact, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that thousands of community water wells and private wells exceed the EPA’s maximum nitrate contaminant level (MCL) of 10 mg/L or 10 ppm.
Nitrates have been classified by the EPA as a water contagion that requires monitoring. Infants below the age of six months who drink water containing nitrate in excess of this MCL may become seriously ill, or even die, as a result.
Symptoms of Nitrate Water Contamination
Symptoms include shortness of breath and “blue baby syndrome” or methemoglobinemia, a potentially fatal blood disorder.
Other illnesses and conditions that have been linked to high levels of nitrates in drinking water include:
- thyroid disorders, including cancer
- gastrointestinal illnesses, including cancer
- birth defects
- miscarriages
Nitrates are not the only toxins that can contaminate environments near industrial food operations: bacteria, viruses, antibiotics and pesticides are also byproducts of factory farming that can spread into the drinking water supplies of neighboring communities and cause a range of health problems among the people who drink the contaminated water.
How a Water Contamination Lawsuit Can Help
Whether or not your water becomes contaminated with nitrates or other pollutants is typically out of your control. But there are ways to reclaim the safety of your drinking water, even if you have not yet become physically ill from this contamination. Our environmental lawyers can help you hold the responsible parties accountable for their actions through a nitrate contamination lawsuit.
We offer a free legal consultation where we will discuss your case, address any concerns you may have, answer your questions and advise you of your rights. Through consultation, direction and support during the lawsuit process, our lawyers are here for you.
Potential remedies in a nitrate contamination lawsuit include:
- getting responsible parties to stop the activities that are causing harm
- getting them to fund and implement effective clean-up
- getting monetary compensation for the damages that the contamination has caused
Whether you or a loved one has been affected by nitrate water contamination, you are now forced to deal with a difficult situation that was not your fault. However, you do have options. It is time to begin exploring those options with Simmons Hanly Conroy.
Our environmental lawyers only get paid if we prevail. This means that you will not owe our firm any money if you do not achieve a positive result in your lawsuit.
Get the Information You Need
Although filing nitrate water contamination lawsuits may seem complex, the environmental lawyers at Simmons Hanly Conroy will help make the process as simple as possible. Partner Ted Gianaris leads the environmental litigation practice area.
Throughout the litigation process, it is important to have all of the information you need. If you have questions, please do not hesitate to contact our environmental lawyers at Simmons Hanly Conroy. We look forward to speaking with you.
* Please note that recovery results vary per client. The recovery amounts in each case reflect the specific facts of that case. Further, recovery amounts in past cases are not a guarantee of future results.
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Written by:Simmons Hanly ConroyThe Simmons Hanly Conroy Editorial Team consists of journalists, writers and editors who strive to deliver accurate and useful information to families needing legal help. Our team works alongside the firm's attorneys and partners, as well as with medical professionals and other specialists, to keep all information relevant and helpful.