Federal judge orders plaintiffs to file individual pollution claims against Kerr-McGee

Wednesday, September 28th 2005, 1:08 pm

By: News On 6

HATTIESBURG, Miss. (AP) -- A federal judge is ordering 1,600 plaintiffs to file separate lawsuits in a pollution case against a plant in Mississippi that's now owned by Oklahoma City-based Kerr-McGee.

There are three overall lawsuits against the former Gulf States Cresote plant in Hattiesburg and Kerr-McGee had asked the court to separate the cases of each plaintiff.

The lawsuits say people have health problems related to creosote from the plant that pollutes the area. Creosote is a toxic chemical that can cause skin cancer and eye damage.

The lawsuits were filed several years ago and Kerr-McGee finished cleaning up the 20-acre site last year.