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AA Accused of Contaminating Airport With Poison & Poop

A new lawsuit claims American uses water jugs to transport poisonous chemicals to bathroom lavatories, then recycles the bottles back to its unsuspecting water-cooler company.

Five American Airlines workers filed suit against the airline last week, claiming American knowingly contaminated Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) with poison and fecal matter. The workers filed the suit — Smith, et al., v. American Airlines, Inc., et al. — in Pennsylvania’s first judicial district in the Court of Common Pleas in Philadelphia,

“Choosing profits over safety, and literally poison chemicals over logic, reason, or human empathy, American Airlines has knowingly contaminated the airport, and workplace of plaintiffs, with toxins and bio-toxins ranging from poisonous chemicals to human airplane lavatory waste in the form of solid fecal particulate.”

According to the complaint’s Exhibit A, which shows photographs of the alleged contamination: “American Airlines directs its lavatory service employees to use Deer Park/Nestle 5 gallon jugs for filling with toxic chemical to be put in airplane toilet.”

The suit says the chemical should be pumped into the plane from tarmac lavatory trucks to an intake valve on the bottom of a plane.

“Because many planes have broken intake mechanisms, which have not been repaired in five years, workers are required to fill Deer Park/Nestle bottles with the chemical, and then to walk them up the steps of the airplane (4 times- one for each toilet on the plane) to dump the chemicals into the toilets,” the complaint states. “When this task is done, and because the bottles are contraband on the tarmac, American Airlines managers ensure the bottles are put back into break rooms to be picked up with other empties by Deer Park/Nestle.”

The toxic toilet chemical contains a 6 percent solution of Bronopol, which is toxic for human consumption, irritates skin and respiratory system and poisonous to aquatic life, and eventually breaks down into formaldehyde. Workers must dump the solution by hand into aircraft toilets, a practice known as “top-filling.”

The suit said American has used this practice for five years, resulting in approximately 15,000 poisoned bottles returned to “unsuspecting” Deer Park truck drivers.

“This is all because American has not repaired the chemical intake valve on the bottom of the planes, but instead has come up with an oppressive and poisonous system to save costs: use another company’s product for free, and don’t repair the airplane parts,” the suit said. “These bottles are picked up by Deer Park, and could wind up in homes, Doctor’s offices, schools, courtrooms, and anywhere else that subscribes to returnable water service.”

David Smith and four co-workers brought the lawsuit against American, its post-merger partner US Airways, and nine corporate officers.

[Photos: Court of Common Pleas For Philadelphia]

 

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diver858 September 28, 2015

Yet another post of unsubstantiated claims and legal action, apparently on behalf of unions. Has FT ever attempted to research such claims, request comment from AA before posting? It would also be useful to learn if any of the claims are ultimately validated, or as I expect, dismissed due to the questionable nature of the claims.