Northrop Grumman accused of hiding contamination in Springfield

A national law firm this morning disclosed a lawsuit accusing Virginia-based Northrop Grumman Corp. (NYSE: NOC) of hiding chemical contamination at a Springfield site for more than a decade.

The litigation filed by New Orleans-based Peiffer Wolf Carr Kane & Conway LLP alleges the aerospace and defense company kept secret the existence of chemical compound trichloroethylene at a former Litton Industries property it purchased near Springfield-Branson National Airport in 2001, according to a news release. The lawsuit, which lists the site at 4811 W. Kearney St., just east of the airport, indicates the property remains a source of TCE. The contamination is connected in the lawsuit to an alleged death and business damages.

"Northrop Grumman knew TCE was in at least one private well in 2004 but chose to hide that from the residents of Springfield. Because of this, families were exposed to a human carcinogen and didn’t even know to test their well water from 2004 until 2020," said plaintiff’s attorney Joseph Peiffer, in the release. "Northrop Grumman could have stopped well owners from drinking and bathing in TCE-contaminated water, but they hid the extent of the TCE spread from the public. The families of Springfield deserve better.”

The litigation identifies the plaintiffs as Don York and his wife, Beverly, who own a property in Springfield less than a mile away from the site. Terry York, Don’s brother, died from kidney issues after living at the property for seven years, according to the lawsuit.

TCE, which Litton had used in the manufacturing of circuit boards, has been connected to kidney and liver cancer, among other illnesses, according to the release.

Additionally, the suit claims the Yorks had business tenants at their property identified as Alisha York Stradling and Jacob Stradling, who also are plaintiffs. The couple, according to the lawsuit, invested $125,000 on improvements before learning of the TCE contamination. Their business is not named in the lawsuit.

The lawsuit, in part, seeks compensatory and punitive damages in an undisclosed amount.

Vic Beck, a spokesperson for Northrop Grumman, said in an email this morning that the company had not been served the complaint and therefore was not able to comment on it.

"We do, however, continue to work closely with the community and the Missouri Department of Natural Resources – as we have done for over 20 years – to address potential environmental concerns related to the former Litton Systems facility," she said.