TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

St. Pete Woman Sues Raytheon, Alleging Water Contamination

ADVERTISEMENT

By MARK  DOUGLAS | News Channel 8

Published: December 10, 2008

ST. PETERSBURG - A St. Petersburg woman who says she is having trouble selling her home near the Raytheon defense plant has filed a federal lawsuit claiming groundwater contamination from leaking hazardous waste has polluted her irrigation well and hurt the value of her property.

Colleen Galligan filed the lawsuit against Raytheon Co. on Monday with the U.S. District Court in Tampa.

According to the suit filed by St. Petersburg attorney Scott R. Jeeves, Galligan had no knowledge of the contamination until The Tampa Tribune published a story March 29 "regarding a contamination plume underlying the neighborhood."

The suit alleges that even though the state and prior owners of the Raytheon property knew about the contamination as early as 1991, Raytheon either failed or refused to notify her until several months after news coverage began.

State records indicate the contamination has spread up to half a mile under the neighborhood surrounding the Raytheon complex at 1501 72nd St. N. and has polluted dozens of residential irrigation wells in the area, as well as a large drainage ditch that empties into nearby Boca Ciega Bay.

State health officials say studies show the contamination does not pose a health threat to the neighborhood.

The suit says Galligan's irrigation well at 1211 Farragut Drive shows contamination by the chemical 1,4 dioxane three times higher than the maximum state drinking water standard.

The suit also says the contamination plume is continuing to expand.

Raytheon recently began a process to clean the groundwater directly under the plant. A long-term cleanup plan for the neighborhood is still under review by the state Department of Environmental Protection.

A Raytheon spokesman did not return a reporter's calls for comment regarding Galligan's suit.

The suit is separate from a legal action filed in May by a consortium of environmental law attorneys on behalf of other neighborhood residents, seeking class action status.

In that action, a tentative trial date of March 7, 2011, has been set.

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT