A federal lawsuit has been filed against defense company Northrop Grumman on behalf of property owners near Springfield.
The lawsuit alleges Northrop Grumman knew that TCE from a company it owns near the Springfield airport was getting into private wells and exposing people to the chemical.
Exposure to TCE can affect the central nervous system and can lead to certain types of cancer, according to the EPA.
Paul Lesko, a partner with the law firm, Peiffer Wolf Carr Kane & Conway, which filed the suit, claims several property owners have been impacted.
“We think the 74 properties that have been tested positive for TCE, that’s just the floor. That’s just the lowest number of people that will be involved with this case,” he said.
The lawsuit claims Northrop Grumman knew about the risk to area property owners and didn’t say anything.
The attorneys are seeking class action certification and are asking anyone impacted by TCE contamination to come forward.
Northrop Grumman did not respond to a request for comment on Wednesday.
