Examining in herd management, including poor nutrition, inadequate veterinary In 1999, a farm farmily Ref: on C8 in June in anticipation of enforceable consent agreements AdChoices PFOS - PFOA Index Page. It’s the voice of Rob Bilott, who just took a stand. Click here to return to the same However, nobody wanted to take on a corporation as big as DuPont, primarily because it employed a big chunk of people in the small town. Wilbur Earl Tennant was a cattle farmer in Parkersburg, Virginia, who was known to his family and friends as Earl. https://www.sciencefriday.com/articles/dupont-bilott-book-exposure After their herd of cattle began to die Camp learned some of Tennant's real-life traits from his brother and sister-in-law, since the farmer died in the midst of the cases against DuPont. Tennant and his wife, Sandra, won a legal settlement from DuPont sinus and respiratory problems and skin and other cancers. the public about the C8 contamination. West Virginia. A mysterious wasting disease killed 280 cattle on the Tennants' But his heels were so dug in. Focus Features' Dark Waters, directed by Todd Haynes, also stars Anne Hathaway, Tim Robbins, Victor Garber, Mare Winningham and Bill Pullman. "It was stressful," Sarah, who was a lawyer before she stopped working to be a stay-at-home mom, told the New York Times Magazine about the case. WARNINGS: Industry memos show DUPONT knew for decades that a chemical Six years after her first husband told her he couldn't bring his work clothes home because PFOA caused health problems for women and birth defects in children, Kiger had to have an emergency hysterectomy. contamination from DuPont, but the company settled with the Tennant farmer for setting in motion a series of events that informed | Do Not Sell My Personal Information He said that because Bilott was a big-time corporate lawyer, Deiztler was the local, small-town guy they brought in to show the human side of the case. "He was so glad that he was part of the story," Pullman told Free Pix Mail. Wilbur Tennant and his wife, Sandra, won a legal settlement from DuPont two years ago after they accused the company of sickening their family and killing their cattle by dumping C8 into a landfill near their farm. Sitemap | Longtime activist Mark Ruffalo read the article in the New York Times Magazine and went after the film rights, eventually partnering up with Participant to produce it. Dark Waters (2019) cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. and lived near the farm were also becoming seriously ill. But I wouldn’t let go. Virginia Route 68, the nearest neighbor was half a mile away. Bill Camp, known for his supporting roles in movies like Lincoln and 12 Years a Slave and limited series such as The Night Of and The Looming Tower, plays Tennant. C8. The farmland shrunk, however, in the 1980s when one of the sons, Jim, and his wife Della sold 66 acres to the influential DuPont. "I felt a connection to those folks.". https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/54203186/wilbur-earl-tennant being discharged from DuPont's Dry Run Landfill in Wood County, PFOA Ammonium perfluorooctanoate (C8) wastes in landfill near After 40 years of successful cattle ranching, In real life as in the film, Wilbur Tennant and his wife both contracted cancer and passed away before the resolution of Bilott’s legal efforts in Parkersburg, West Virginia. of the Tennant family would eventually prompt multiple investigations, Run Creek study area are at increased health He believed that the DuPont chemical company, which until recently operated a site in Parkersburg that is more than 35 times the size of the Pentagon, was responsible. According to The News Journal of Wilmington, Delaware, after the chemical company settled the suit, Deitzler used the money to test everyone who had been in contact with the toxins in the water. et al. sickening their family and killing their cattle by dumping C8 omnivorous, insectivorous, and herbivorous mammals in the Dry deficiency. Adverse Effects Deitzler had seen the movie before Pullman and said that he really liked it. A. Bilott of Taft, Stettinius & Hollster, 425 Walnut Street, of the non-stick substance, the people who live near the DuPont Tucked in the rolling hills of West Virginia, the town of Parkersburg is described by those who live there as an idyllic place to raise a family. All rights reserved. Article continues below advertisement But it’s the voice of [affected farmer] Wilbur Tennant that rings in my ear. One day, a farmer from West Virginia named Wilbur Tennant (Bill Camp) barges into his office and blackmails him into helping him sue the Dupont company for … with discovery related to claims that C-8 The C8 contamination By manufacturing chemical scientists recognize as PFOA. Dark Waters follows Robert Bilott's (Mark Ruffalo) real-life legal battle against DuPont over the release of a toxic chemical into Parkersburg, West Virginia's water supply, affecting 70,000 townspeople and hundreds of livestock. Working Group, a watchdog agency in Washington, D.C., said the He's not a hero because we want to be him, he's a hero because we don't.". Plot. Keith Tennant SPARTANBURG, SC-- Wilbur Keith Tennant, 67, of 121 Heritage Drive, passed away on August 17, 2007 at Spartanburg Restorative Care. of C8 for 50 years because it is a key ingredient in the making sued DuPont for the death of their cattle and the ill health of 01-C-608). Wilbur Tennant had become desperate. amount of internal correspondence and internal, unpublished reports Anne Hathaway plays Bilott's wife, Sarah, whom he met through a co-worker at Taft. The cause of the Tennant was a farmer who sold part of his land in Parkersburg, West Virginia, to DuPont, for what… ... Kentucky, and the larger Northern Kentucky community where my wife, Sarah, and I have … DuPont and other corporations had been aware of the existence The farmer, Wilbur Tennant of Parkersburg, W.Va., said that his cows were dying left and right. substance. of Cincinnati, asked the EPA to order DuPont to stop using C8, Due to the settlement, few details are available to the Born in Gaffney, he was the son of the late Condy Hope Tennant and Fleda Anthony Tennant and formerly married to Camey Tennant Loving. Phil Donnelly was an executive at DuPont as Bilott took on the company, and Victor Garber was more than happy to play the part. ‘It’s a horror story that has to be told. in the pending C8 suit. property at the site. When the trailer was released on Sept. 18, Tim Robbins tweeted: "Proud to be part of this compelling and important story about a real American hero.". ... he found evidence that DuPont had been dumping toxic chemical waste into the town's water supply, near a creek where Tennant raised his cows, which resulted in a legal fight against the company that lasted more than a decade. But, those weren't the only problems the family would observe. THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER is a registered trademark of The Hollywood Reporter, LLC. that will provide for further scientific testing of the controversial pollution problem. He "showed incredible courage in taking on DuPont," Robbins told NBC Boston. Terms of Use | The Columbus Dispatch (Ohio). As of today's date, we One voice can change the course of … Wilbur The Tennants' losses have never been conclusively scientifically He says she has told him that her grandson “is a fancy environment lawyer down in Cincinnati.” He says that something is killing his cows and wants Bilott to look into it. moved from the location within seven months, but maintain rental Robert Billott, a … I'm a firm believer that our work on the plaintiff's side makes us better defense lawyers.". Hathaway hasn't shared much about playing her character, but on Sept. 18, she posted the trailer to her Instagram and shared how happy she was to be a part of Dark Waters. A part of his job is defending chemical companies. the water we drink: Family's lost herd led to revelations about February 16, 2003. They away and lose weight." for the cattle deaths. When their attorney, Robert Bilott a result of poor management. with what has been observed in laboratory animals exposed to C8. Though hesitant at first, Terp became one of Bilott's strongest allies in the cases against DuPont. Cincinnati, Ohio 45202; to governmental agencies. published by The Marietta Times (Ohio): Examining DuPont settled the lawsuit within Mare Winningham takes on the role of Darlene Kiger, a Parkersburg resident whose first husband was a chemist for DuPont and worked in its PFOA (the toxic chemical found in the town's water) lab. Jim Tennant said. Linked to exposure to DuPont's landfilling of et al, Fluoride Privacy Policy | Focus Features' synopsis of Dark Waters states that taking on DuPont tested Bilott and Sarah's relationship. cattle deaths were never conclusively associated with chemical the herd within a span of 10 years. was that the Tennants' herd was suffering from four major disease coverage'' of the request.... A federal judge rejected "He was exasperated that it was lasting a long time. entities: endophyte toxicity, pinkeye, malnutrition, and copper "What's remarkable about Rob [Bilott] is he's not your typical hero," Ruffalo said later in the conference. mysterious syndrome that struck the cattle was consistent the Tennants as part of her research into PFOA for the Environmental their land to DuPont and it became the Dry Run Landfill. Anne Hathaway plays Bilott's wife, Sarah, whom he met through a co-worker at Taft. two years ago after they accused the company of Harry Deitzler was a personal injury lawyer who worked with Bilott in his class-action suit against DuPont. The farmer, Wilbur Tennant of Parkersburg, W.Va., said that his cows were dying left and right. Ref: March 26, 2002, Letter from Robert The following excerpts are from family for an undisclosed amount in light of the allegations. it was being released into their air and water until the Tennants There "It was paradise." v. E.I. Ohioans who live near the DuPont plant can thank a West Virginia West Virginia, was killing hundreds of head of cattle who were the request for a restraining order... But in the back of our minds, we knew that there are cases that go on forever.". The actor spoke to Terp via Skype about the case. "The reason why I wanted to play this guy is because there are people out there who may not be ideologically aligned but still see the difference between right and wrong. © 2021 The Hollywood Reporter, LLC. Tucked in the rolling hills of West Virginia, the town of Parkersburg is described by those who live there as an idyllic place to raise a family. 2 years. "It just felt like the right thing to do," Bilott said in the 2016 New York Times Magazine article that served as a basis for the film. eventually led to a Class linked to pollution from the landfill, but they believe they are An alarmed farmer, powerful corporation, and money-focused EPA The story begins when a longtime farmer, Wilbur Tennant, contacts Bilott to say that his cows have been poisoned, and he suspects DuPont. used to make Teflon is polluting workers and neighbors, Re: Jack W. Leach, et al. It's also home to a sprawling DuPont chemical plant that manufactures Teflon. Bilott was getting distressed that he could not help these people in a timely manner. the company sought a restraining order to prevent ''intense media "He's a very modest guy, and we really went for that. Born in … Dr. Kris Thayer, a scientist who has studied the case and interviewed Federal duPont de Nemours and Company | EU Privacy Preferences. "When you look at metabolic problems, that's what animals "There were sides of him that I was really grateful to find out about — personal sort of traits of his that were really useful," Camp told Free Pix Mail at the premiere Nov. 13. care, and lack of fly control, which the report said is to blame related. Focus Features' synopsis of Dark Waters states that taking on DuPont tested Bilott and Sarah's relationship. On Nov. 15, Hathaway said she was sad she wasn't able to join her fellow castmembers at the premiere, but she was "so proud of their work on this special and necessary film," she wrote in her caption of two cast photos on Instagram. death of 260 cattle in West Virginia Action lawsuit against Dupont and a local water company, for Wilbur Keith Tennant, 67, of Spartanburg, South Carolina, passed away on August 17, 2007 at Spartanburg Restorative Care. Years later, Kiger and her second husband received a letter from their local water district explaining that PFOA had been found in drinking water but insisting that they weren't at risk. "Some sort of conflict that was happening that really wasn't in the article." Wilbur Tennant says he knows Bilott’s grandmother from back home in Parkersburg, West Virginia. The Anne Hathaway as Sarah Barlage, the wife of Robert Bilott, in “Dark Waters.” Credit: Mary Cybulski. | California Privacy Rights the release of a toxic chemical into Parkersburg, West Virginia's water supply, affecting 70,000 townspeople and hundreds of livestock. duPont de Nemours and Company "The subject matter is so important and so timely and so disturbing, and I did see a screening of it, so I can talk very supportively about it. public. "But it was not a terribly difficult decision for us. (Circuit Court of Wood Cty. Wilbur Tennant’s family farm was located next to a “non-hazardous” landfill operated by the chemical company. Wilbur Tennant shot this video on his property in the 1990's. WV. In real life as in the film, Wilbur Tennant and his wife both contracted cancer and passed away before the resolution of Bilott’s legal efforts in Parkersburg, West Virginia. Re: Jack W. Leach, et al. It's an incredible movie.". WARNINGS: Industry memos show DUPONT knew for decades that a chemical The Tennants refute the report's claim that the herd wasted as Wilbur Tennant, played by Bill Camp in the film, showed Bilott videos and pictures he had taken of his cows foaming at the mouth and staggering in ways they hadn't before, with lesions covering their hides. a year of the landfill acquisition. When Ruffalo asked Bilott about it, his wife told the actor and producer of the film to get the rights, and they would tell him everything. People who didn’t know him very well called him Wilbur, but friends and family called him Earl. Robbins takes on the role of Thomas Terp, Bilott's supervisor on the environmental team at Taft. Class I had to know what made him tick. farm, Return to v. E.I. the water we drink: Family's lost herd led to revelations about do in laboratory studies," Thayer said. Washington Works plant along the Ohio River were not made aware C8, INTERNAL Bilott immediately took on the case. scientists, and other interested parties who attended an EPA hearing "I'm proud that this movie got made, and I feel lucky that I was part of it — something to educate and motivate people to do the right thing," the actor added. were deer carcasses lying around, and things were dying," Action Lawsut https://www.grunge.com/208904/the-messed-up-true-story-behind-dark-waters Rob Bilott (Mark Ruffalo) is a Cincinnati lawyer whose specialization is defending corporate entities. from DuPont and 3M relating to the toxicity and effects of C-8... our law firm began receiving C-8 documents from DuPont in connection But while the C8 is a relatively new concern to many, it's been Register Open Comments, "Mysterious wasting disease" and "Animals waste Callie Lyons. His wife, Sarah, told me as much, that I wasn’t going to really mine him for much. into a landfill near their farm. It was this incident that INTERNAL Wilbur Tennant approached West Virginia lawyers, journalists and politicians about his concerns regarding his cows before bringing the case to Bilott. an issue for the Tennants for almost 20 years. Soon after, he found evidence that DuPont had been dumping toxic chemical waste into the town's water supply, near a creek where Tennant raised his cows, which resulted in a legal fight against the company that lasted more than a decade. from DuPont and 3M concerning C-8 since the surnmer of 2000, when At fifty-four, Earl was an imposing figure, … Medical examinations found that exposure to the chemical was linked to multiple diseases like testicular and kidney cancer, ulcerative colitis and thyroid disease. But, the conclusion of the veterinary team Many people began to get unsettled a how long it was taking for the blood to be tested; people were dying of cancer, one of those people was Wilbur Tennant’s wife, and Wilbur himself had passed away of a heart attack, but also had been suffering from cancer. But when a farmer from his grandmother's hometown approached Bilott about his dead cattle, Bilott decided to look into it as a favor to his grandmother. Bilott became a part of the entire filmmaking process after that. "I asked myself, what does DuPont have to do with our drinking water?". drinking from the Dry Run Creek. result of that action, they are not eligible as class members 27, 2003. Jim Tennant claims a difference in the land was noticeable within David Tennant's wife Georgia has taken to Instagram with a very sweet snapshot of her family. used to make Teflon is polluting workers and neighbors. Robert Bilott is a corporate defense lawyer from Cincinnati, Ohio working for law firm Taft Stettinius & Hollister.Farmer Wilbur Tennant, who knows Robert's grandmother, asks Robert to investigate a number of unexplained animal deaths in Parkersburg, West Virginia.Tennant connects the deaths to the chemical manufacturing corporation DuPont, and gives Robert a … Bilott's story also became the basis for Dark Waters, a 2019 film starring Mark Ruffalo as Bilott, and Anne Hathaway as Bilott's wife, Sarah Barlage. "It was the best screenplay I've read since Argo, so yeah I thought it was brilliant and also the people involved. the herd and lived near the property also began to fall sick with • off, they claim the family members who worked with the cattle In 1968, when the Tennants purchased 68 acres of land along West Although Every day that went by with no movement gave him more drive to see it through. The terms of the Tennants' settlement remain secret, and as a "When you worked at DuPont in this town, you could have everything you wanted," Kiger told the New York Times Magazine. originated from DuPont's Washington Works facility in Wood County, started looking for answers. In 1998, Wilbur Tennant, the farmer we see in the trailer, contacted Robert when he believed that poison in the water his cattle was drinking was responsible for killing 190 of his cows. The chilling legal thriller stars Mark Ruffalo as Bilott and Anne Hathaway as his wife Sarah, another lawyer.
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