Kim Brewer is a mother of a family of four children living in North Carolina. Her two oldest children were born without birth defects, but her two children that were born after she moved to Dukeville, North Carolina were born with birth defects due to environmental factors.
One daughter has chiari malformation and the other has spina bifida. Genetics has been ruled out as a cause for their birth defects, leaving the nearby coal ash pond as the likely origin.
How Can Coal Ash Cause a Birth Defect?
The story of this North Carolina family paints an accurate picture of how coal ash can lead to a child’s birth defects. The family lives near the Buck Steam Station coal ash ponds. The community was never informed of the dangers of coal ash until a recent spill occurred in the Dan River.
According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the risk of cancer is greatly increased for anyone living within a mile of a coal ash pit. Numerous toxins are found in coal ash, including arsenic, lead and mercury. These toxins can lead to a range of birth defects, as well as health hazards for healthy children and adults.
Raising a child with a birth defect is costly, as expensive surgeries, therapy and doctor visits are likely to continue throughout your child’s lifetime. If your child’s birth defect is not genetic, then you may be eligible for compensation that can aid you in paying for medical bills, therapy and other costs that are necessary for raising a child with a birth defect.
Looking for a Miami Birth Defect Attorney?
If negligence has caused your baby’s birth defect, then contact the Florida birth defect lawyers at Farrell & Patel. We have dedicated our lives to helping injured children and their families.
Farrell & Patel – Birth Injury Lawyers
Source: http://www.treehugger.com/energy-policy/realities-living-near-coal-ash.html
