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DuPont,Billot,TennantandPFOARobBilottreceivedaphonecallfromacattlefarmerinParkersburg,WestVirginia.ThefarmerWilburTennanthadsuspectedthatthechemicalcompanyDuPontwasresponsibleforthedeathofmanyofhiscows.UnfortunatelyDuPontwasextremelypopularinthisareathatWilburTennantdidnotreceiveanyhelplocallyandresultedincallinglawyerRobBilottwhoknewhisgrandmother.RobBilottwasanenvironmentallawyerwhoworkedforlargecorporateclientswherehedefendedchemicalcompanies,howeverthiscasewasagainstthecompanieshehadworkedwithsuchasDuPontseveraltimes.DuetohiscloseconnectionwiththecommunityRobagreedtotakeonthecase.Inthelate1980’spartofthelandthatWilburTennant’sfamilyhadownedwassoldtoDuPontwheretheywantedtousetheplotforwastefromafactorynearby.TheplotthatwasacquiredbyDuPontwasnownamedDryRunLandfill,whereacreekthatranbetweenthisplotfloweddowntowheretheTennant’scowswere.Tennanttookituponhimselftofilmthedamagebeingdonetohisanimals,hesaid“I’vetakentwodeaddeerandtwodeadcattleoffthisripple”“thebloodrunoutoftheirnosesandouttheirmouths,they’retryingtocoverthisstuffup.Butit’snotgoingtobecoveredup,becauseI’mgoingtobringitoutintheopenforpeopletosee.”Thelargepipethatranthroughthecreekwasdischarginggreenwaterwhichthecowsweredrinking.Tennantalsosuspectedsomeofhiscowsweresufferingfromkidneymalfunctionduetothesizeandpatchesofhairmissing.Anotherissueweretheteethofthecowwhichwereblackened,Tennantwastolditwasduetohighlevelsoffluorideinthedrinkingwater.AlltheissuesthatwerepointedoutbyTennantinregardstothecowscalledforBilott’sattentionforhimtotakeonthecase.BilottwentontofileafederalsuitagainstDuPointduringthesummerof1999,whereDuPontsaidtheywouldconductastudyofthepropertythatwasapparentlybeingaffected.WhenthereportcameoutDuPontwasfoundnotresponsibleforTennant’scattlehealthproblems,insteaditwassaidthatpoornutritionwasthecause.BilottcontinuedtohelptheTennant’sbutfoundlittleevidenceofwhatwashappeningtothecattle.Withlittleco-operationfromDuPont,BilottcameacrossachemicalinthefilescalledPFOAwhichstoodforperfluorooctanoicacid.AftergoingthroughthousandsofdocumentsBilottdiscoveredthatthechemicalDuPontwasusingasextremelyharmfulandtheyknewaboutit.Theyhadbeganpurchasingthischemicalin1951andreferredtoitasC8.ThiswasalsoknowntobeusedforcoatingTeflon.ThechemicalwasnotclassifiedbythegovernmentashazardousandwasdisposedofbypumpingitthroughParkersburgintotheOhioRiver.ThroughthefilesBilottlearnedthatDuPonthadbeenconductingtheirownstudiesofPFOAforaboutfortyyears.ThroughDuPont’sresearchtheyfoundthatconsumptionofthischemicalincreasedtheliversizeinratsandrabbits.Bythe1990’sDuPontdiscoveredthatPFOAcausedcancerinanimalsandpreviouslytheyhadissuesofbirthdefectswithemployeesintheTeflondivisionbutdidnotmakeanyofthisinformationpublic.BilotthadnowdiscoveredthecauseinthedeathsofthecattleonTennant’sfarmandhadcalledDuPontregardingthisinformation.DuPont’sresponsewastheywouldsettlewiththeTennant’showeverBilottwasnotsatisfiedwiththisoutcome.In2005,DuPontreacheda$16.5millionsettlementthathadaccusedthecompanyofconcealingitsknowledgeofPFOAbeingtoxicandpresentintheenvironment.Bilottdidnotrepresentacorporateclientafterthiscasewhichtookhimseveralyears,inadditiontothishefocusedonhelpingotherswhohadbeenaffectedbyPFOAandDuPont.UnfortunatelythedamagehadalreadybeendonewithalltheothercasesbutBilottwasdeterminedforjusticefortheothers.BythephonecallreceivedfromTennantregardinghiscowsthediscoveryofwhatDuPontwasdoingtothecommunityhelpedbringthisissuetolight.InregardstoTefloncoatedpanstherestillremainstheissueofwhethertheyaresafeornot.Teflonpanshaveusedthechemicalsincethe1940’sthathasproventocauseharmthroughBilott’sresearch.Unfortunatelymanyareunawareofthis.ThishaschangedmymentalityonTeflonpansinregardstoiftheyaresafeforustouse.