"New suit filed over toxic plant in Avoca," 5 September 2015

Thousands of people injured by toxic waste at a now-shuttered creosote plant in Avoca are seeking to reactivate their cases, accusing Kerr-McGee Corp. of fraudulent actions that left them collecting a fraction of the damages they deserve for being subjected to the company’s “toxic cocktail.”

The filing seeks to return to the active docket more than 4,300 cases involving people who lived near the plant and sued Kerr-McGee in 2005, alleging the toxic emissions from the plant caused debilitating injuries and death. The documents allege Tronox Inc., the only Kerr-McGee affiliate to sign an arbitration agreement, is guilty of “multiple breaches” of the accord.

The company decided sometime prior to 2005 that the costs of dealing with contamination created by its operations were a “drag on its business,” according to federal prosecutors. The company created another entity — New Kerr-McGee Corp. — and transferred its valuable oil and gas exploration assets to the new company...The liabilities, however, remained with the old company, which was renamed Tronox Inc. and broke off as a separate company in 2006.

*Sourced by RepRisk due diligence on ESG and business conduct risks, www.reprisk.com.