Ponca Tribe files lawsuit against Ponca City business

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- An American Indian tribe is suing a Ponca City plant for allegedly making people ill and damaging nearby properties.<br/><br/>The Ponca Tribe says 11 adult tribe members and 52 children

Friday, April 22nd 2005, 6:15 am

By: News On 6

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- An American Indian tribe is suing a Ponca City plant for allegedly making people ill and damaging nearby properties.

The Ponca Tribe says 11 adult tribe members and 52 children suffered symptoms associated with Continental Carbon Company's production of carbon black, a rubber and plastic additive that can easily travel through the air in a powder form.

A plaintiffs lawyer says the tribe's lawsuit â€“ filed Thursday -- seeks a shutdown of the plant and monetary damages.

Attorney Jason Aamodt says a recent federal case in Alabama involving Continental Carbon's Phenix City, Alabama, production plant, resulted in a $19.5-million jury award.

Continental Carbon spokesman Blake Lewis says the company hasn't seen a copy of the lawsuit and wouldn't comment.

Continental Carbon -- headquartered in Houston -- was recently sued by the city of Ponca City.