54 Paulsboro Chemical Spill Victims File Lawsuit

Two weeks after a Conrail freight train derailed over a creek in Paulsboro, spilling 100,000 pounds of toxic chemicals, 54 area residents have sued the Philadelphia rail company to cover medical expenses. According to the legal complaint, exposure to the carcinogen vinyl chloride “affects the central nervous system, causing dizziness, drowsiness and lung and kidney irritation.” The suit alleges that Conrail and its parent company CSX failed to properly maintain the bridge in question, ignoring a similar 2009 derailment, as well as the nine “trouble tickets” it’s received since October 27. The plaintiffs may also be seeking payback for the time their post-spill debauchery got broken up by the cops. [Bloomberg]