A former mechanic who handled ExxonMobil's gasoline and solvents for years sued the company for exposing him to a known carcinogen — and won.
What happened?
Paul Gill worked at a gas station as a mechanic from 1975 to 1980, during which he routinely handled ExxonMobil's petroleum products with his bare hands while cleaning car parts.
This, he says, gave him cancer — specifically, acute myeloid leukemia, a type of blood cancer.
ExxonMobil's products contain benzene, which the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has long classified as a known carcinogen. According to Reuters, after Gill's trial proceedings concluded, the jury found Exxon liable for "negligently failing to warn about the health risks of benzene."
The compensatory damages Exxon is being asked to pay are to the tune of $725.5 million.
Why is a lawsuit like this important?
"This verdict is important because it's a finding that their gasoline causes cancer," said Patrick Wigle, one of Gill's attorneys, in a statement. "ExxonMobil has known for decades that benzene causes cancer, yet they resisted warning the public and taking basic precautions to warn the public and limit exposure."
Unfortunately, this is not the first time something like this has happened with ExxonMobil and other oil and gas behemoths. One Denver-based oil company is currently facing a lawsuit for leaving abandoned oil wells to rot rather than cleaning them, polluting the surrounding area without regulation.
Another energy company in Washington, D.C., is paying out over $57 million for dumping chemicals and waste into the Anacostia River, which led residents to ingest toxic chemicals via fish for decades. Meanwhile, Monsanto, the agrochemical manufacturer of known toxic herbicide Roundup, has faced more than 100,000 lawsuits for exposing workers to carcinogens.Â
But benzene exposure isn't just a threat for industrial employees. People are exposed daily to dirty oil and coal pollution, car exhaust, and even evaporation at gas stations.
What's being done to hold these companies accountable?
These companies won't go down without a fight. In regard to Gill's settlement, one Exxon spokesperson called the verdict "irrational" and said that the company would "exhaust all available appeals" to avoid paying the damages.
While companies like Exxon often hide behind greenwashing and vague promises of becoming more eco-friendly, it's important to stay informed about the real risks they pose.
Hopefully, the more public pressure is exerted on them to stay accountable, the closer we can all move toward a more carcinogen-free future.
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