HSC Harsco Corporation

Lawsuit claims air quality around East Chicago schools poses a significant threat to children. GARY, Ind., March 25 /PRNewswire/ -- A group of parents today filed a class-action lawsuit against 11 of Lake County, Indiana's worst air-pollution emitters including United States Steel (NYSE:X) and ArcelorMittal USA Inc. (NYSE:MT) claiming the companies foul the region's air with toxic pollutants to such a degree that children in the area could face life-long development and health issues. (Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080317/AQM144LOGO) Parents filed the suit after a series of studies revealed children in Lake County - which includes the heavily industrialized cities of East Chicago and Gary - are exposed to higher levels of airborne toxins including cadmium, manganese and lead than elsewhere in the United States. The studies show exposure to these toxic emissions during childhood can lead to increased risk of cancer, damage to developing lungs and other organs, damage in the development of the respiratory, nervous, endocrine and immune systems, as well as behavioral problems, and mental disabilities. "The plight of these children is nothing short of a healthcare crisis for those living in this area," said lead attorney and HBSS managing partner Steve Berman. The Political Economy Research Institute, joined by USA Today, concluded that the air quality in Lake County, Indiana is among the worst in the country, and that school-aged kids in the region inhale or ingest more toxins than nearly any other area in the U.S. According to the research, of air quality outside 127,800 schools nationwide, four of the schools in East Chicago, Indiana - including Abraham Lincoln Elementary School, Benjamin Franklin Elementary School, East Chicago Lighthouse, and Eugene Field Elementary School - ranked in the first percentile, the most toxic air in the nation. No East Chicago school ranks above the sixth percentile in the study, the suit states. Berman noted that children are at an increased risk of the effects of airborne toxins and need long-term medical monitoring. "A child, running and playing can take in as much as 50 percent more air through their lungs than an adult doing the same activity," Berman noted. "We have no way of knowing the long-term effects of these contaminants." "Air they breathe today could cause asthma or lung cancer 10 years down the line," Berman added. Berman also noted that the population of Lake County is economically disadvantaged, with about 12 percent of the residents living below the poverty line. "Most people in Lake County don't have the ability to pull up their stakes and move away to find a healthy place to raise their kid; they are stuck there," Berman added. "Regardless of how poor they are, we think Lake County children should have the right to breathe air that won't make them ill, or worse." Ron Kurth, a parent from Lake County city Crown Point filed the suit in Lake County Superior Court on behalf of all the region's residents whose children have attended Lake County schools. In addition to medical monitoring, the suit asks the court to order a public awareness campaign about the dangers of these chemicals, air quality monitoring throughout Lake County and a citizen advisory board to allow continued input on the medical monitoring program. If you have a child attending school in Lake County, you can contact attorneys at (708) 776-5600. You can also join this lawsuit online at http://www.hbsslaw.com/lakecounty or by e-mailing . Additional defendants in this case include Dover Chemical Corporation, The Marley-Wylain Company, Pollution Control Industries, Rhodia Inc., UGN Inc., Union Tank Car Company, and HARSCO Corporation (NYSE:HSC). About Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro is based in Seattle with offices in Chicago, Boston, Los Angeles, Phoenix, San Francisco and New York. Since the firm's founding in 1993, it has developed a nationally recognized practice in class action and complex litigation. Among recent successes, HBSS has negotiated a pending $300 million settlement as lead counsel in the DRAM memory antitrust litigation; a $340 million recovery on behalf of Enron employees which is awaiting distribution; a $150 million settlement involving charges of illegally inflated charges for the drug Lupron, and served as co-counsel on the Visa/Mastercard litigation which resulted in a $3 billion settlement, the largest anti-trust settlement to date. HBSS also served as counsel in a $850 million settlement in the Washington Public Power Supply litigation and represented Washington and 12 other states in lawsuits against the tobacco industry that resulted in the largest settlement in the history of litigation. For a complete listing of HBSS cases, visit http://www.hbsslaw.com/. CONTACTS: Elizabeth A. Fegan (708) 776-5600 Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro Mark Firmani (206) 443-9357 Firmani + Associates Inc. http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080317/AQM144LOGO http://photoarchive.ap.org/ DATASOURCE: Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro CONTACT: Elizabeth A. Fegan of Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro, +1-708-776-5600, ; or Mark Firmani of Firmani + Associates Inc., +1-206-443-9357, , for Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro Web Site: http://www.hbsslaw.com/

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