Law Offices of Archie Lamb Announce: CSX Transportation Sued Over 'Toxic' Pit.

HULL, Fla. -- Last graph, first sentence should read: For additional information or a copy of the lawsuit, please contact Anne Duke at 703-624-6125 or the Law Offices of Archie Lamb at 800-324-4425.

The corrected release reads:

LAW OFFICES OF ARCHIE LAMB ANNOUNCE: CSX TRANSPORTATION SUED OVER 'TOXIC' PIT

Local Attorney David Carlton and Nationally Recognized Healthcare and Environmental Lawyers Archie Lamb and Marc Bern, File Major Lawsuits On Behalf Of Residents of Hull, Florida

A coalition of attorneys from across the country announced the filing of a major environmental lawsuit in Desoto County, Florida against Jacksonville, Florida based CSX Transportation Corporation (NYSE:CSX). The lawsuit, filed this morning, seeks $500 million in damages for injuries to local residents caused by CSX Transportation's Hull Site Creosote Pit. Plaintiffs include local residents living adjacent to the site as well as individuals and entities affected in the Peace River basin.

The Pit, an unlined, open, railroad cross-tie treatment facility, was operated for over thirty years at the Hull, Florida site by several predecessor companies that eventually became CSX Transportation. According to the Florida Department of Environmental Regulation, over fifty years after operations ceased, the Pit still has "elevated levels of anthracene, fluroanthene, pyrene and benzene." The state also found "that carcinogenic chemicals had leached into the groundwater and were a potential threat to enter the nearby Peace River, which supplies drinking water to Punta Gorda, Port Charlotte and most of Charlotte County." Additionally, a Florida Department of Health technical document review of the site resulted in a report that revealed in addition to arsenic, other toxic substances, including pyrene and benzene, were detected in the local drinking water.

The lawsuit details in pertinent part that the toxic and carcinogenic chemicals on-site and off-site, contaminated, and continue to contaminate, soil, groundwater, air, and the Plaintiffs' properties, and continue to pose an actual and imminent threat to area residents, which include the Plaintiffs. The lawsuit also addresses the negative affect on property values throughout the Peace River basin and seeks actual and punitive damages. A jury trial has been demanded.

Local attorney David Carlton began an investigation when a local resident sought his help. The resident had been notified that his property was required to be fenced due to safety concerns. Carlton investigated and asked attorneys Lamb and Bern to look into the matter with him. "I was appalled to learn of this terrible health hazard right here in Desoto County and that many of my neighbors had their property constructively taken from them due to the leaching of the contaminants onto their property," Carlton commented.

"We have been horrified at the stories told by our clients related to this terrible environmental tragedy," noted attorney Archie Lamb. "It is difficult to believe that such a site can exist without some type of mandated clean up to protect families that, through no fault of their on, find themselves living next to and drinking water that contains life threatening carcinogens," Lamb concluded.

Nationally recognized environmental attorney Marc Bern agreed with Carlton's conclusions. "Our firm addresses environmental issues throughout the country and we have never seen a situation such as this. This is toxic pollution on a grand scale that has and continues to have long lasting negative effects on the entire community as well as communities downstream," noted Bern. "The effects are truly generational."

David Carlton is a life-long resident of Desoto County with offices in Punta Gorda, Florida. Archie Lamb is originally from Arcadia, Florida and, along with Miami attorney Harley Tropin, is the leader of a coalition of lawyers responsible for agreements valued in billions of dollars with major HMO insurance giants Cigna and Aetna that change the companies' egregious treatment of physicians. Marc Bern is a nationally recognized environmental attorney with offices in New York City.

A press conference announcing the lawsuit will be held at 12:00 p.m. ET, Thursday, December 16 on the steps of the Desoto County Courthouse. A video SAT feed of the press conference will be available at 4:00 p.m. ET at the following coordinates:

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For additional information or a copy of the lawsuit, please contact Anne Duke at 703-624-6125 or the Law Offices of Archie Lamb at 800-324-4425. David Carlton can be reached at 863-494-9600 and Marc Bern at 212-267-3700.