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Thanksgiving Cooking Safety Tips from the NFPA

By Attorney Ray Maples on November 22, 2011

This week dinner tables and kitchens across the country will be bustling with activity. And while that’s a recipe for great meals, it also presents increased risk scenarios for residential home fires. The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) estimated the number of home kitchen fire accidents was three times the daily mean for the nation, according to data for 2009. In addition, fires originating in the kitchen are the leading cause of home fires in general. During the four year period between 2005 and 2009, fire departments answered to approximately 155,400 infernos resulting from kitchen equipment; those accidents caused an estimated annual median of $771 million in property destruction, 4,800 injuries, and 390 deaths. With that, let’s review some important safety rules offered by the NFPA for cooking this Thanksgiving.

Halliburton Sued For Oklahoma Groundwater Pollution

By Attorney Ray Maples on November 16, 2011

Corporate giant Halliburton is facing lawsuits for allegedly causing groundwater pollution surrounding a former work site in Oklahoma that performed missile casing maintenance for the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD). According to recent reporting by the Insurance Journal, the company carried out its missile maintenance duties at a semi rural location near Duncan, OK, from 1965 to 1991. The site was shut down part way into the 1990s.

The company admitted that an ingredient to the missile fuel (ammonium perchlorate which is a salt that is easily assimilated into water) was found in the ground and in nearby residential water sources near the work site. It also said that it was in the process of assessing the degree of tainting to the water, and would provide bottled water in the interim, and potentially a temporary safe water system if necessary. It did not release a liability and property damage speculations; however, a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) claims it has made estimates.

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Oklahoma Community Files Suit Against Big Energy Company

By Attorney Ray Maples on November 8, 2011

In the small town of Bokoshe, Oklahoma, toxic coal ash is unloaded in large truck loads by a local power plant. And after years of battling illnesses and gridlocked, bureaucratic state authorities on the hazardous civic problem, its residents have filed a class action lawsuit against over 20 businesses and individuals associated with the dumping zone, including the power plant’s owner/ international energy powerhouse AES Corporation.

Town residents involved in the lawsuit say the coal ash (also known as fly ash) has riddled their small community with elevated instances of cancer and respiratory diseases. Out of the 30 households in the nearest proximity to the dumping grounds, over one half have suffered cancer, according to reporting by News 6. Over 500 individuals residing in Bokoshe, or within three miles of the dump zone, are part of the lawsuit. In addition, those involved have put together an advocacy group and an accompanying web site with information and videos regarding the lawsuit and its surrounding circumstances. The suit alleges that the defendants oversaw the disposal of toxic waste into a residential area, and also launched efforts to deceive the local community with misinformation about the health risks associated with the dumping activities. Its goal is to stop the dumping, clean the area of waste, and provide remuneration for the treatment of any illnesses resulting from the exposure or damages to property.

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