Chromium 6 Poisoning in Hinkley, California
The Case Made Famous by Erin Brockovich
The Place:
Hinkley, California: A rural, incorporated town in the Mojave Desert in California. The community is associated with Erin Brokovich who, as a legal clerk to the lawyer Edward Masery, investigated Pacific Gas and Electric for their contribution to unclean water in the town. The town is located near the town of Barstow, California. It is not far off the famous Route 66, about 150 miles from Las Vegas. It is a rural town surrounded by beautiful scenery. Hinkley is an important point on PG&E's natural gas pipeline as it travels from Texas to California.
The Stakeholders:
In 1993 seventy seven citzens of Hinkley California filed a law suit against Pacific Gas and Electric Company demanding compensation for the pain and suffering they experienced as a result of PG&E's negligence. The number of plantiffs eventually grew to six hundred and forty eight residents. In 1994 the suit went to arbitration and mediation and resulted in the largest settlement recieved by for a civil class action lawsuit in US history.
The Issue:
PG&E's Negligence in their Disposal of Toxic Chemicals
Resolutions and Consequences
Works Cited