Newspaper and Magazine Articles

This webpage links to 50 newspaper and magazine articles written about the childhood leukemia cluster in Woburn, the federal trial, and the aftermath of the trial. The articles are listed in chronological order but can be searched by topic and keywords using the 'Search all resource collections' box.

Health Problems Plague Woburn

Articles from 1979

May 7 - Hazardous material found on MBTA site
copyright Woburn Daily Times Chronicle, written by Charles C. Ryan, used with permission
September 10 - Lagoon of arsenic discovered in North Woburn
copyright Woburn Daily Times Chronicle, written by Charles C. Ryan, used with permission
December 10 - Deaths from cancer increase in Woburn
copyright Woburn Daily Times Chronicle, written by Charles C. Ryan, used with permission
December 13 - Childhood leukemia answers sought
copyright Woburn Daily Times Chronicle, written by Charles C. Ryan, used with permission

Articles from 1980

April 28 - Three families face leukemia: Part I It happened overnight
copyright Woburn Daily Times Chronicle, written by Charles C. Ryan, used with permission
May 1 - Three families face leukemia: Part II 'It was God's Will
copyright Woburn Daily Times Chronicle, written by Charles C. Ryan, used with permission
May 2 - Three families face leukemia: Part III It's the environment, feel the Andersons
copyright Woburn Daily Times Chronicle, written by Charles C. Ryan, used with permission
July 2 - Workers near waste site complain of headaches, fatigue
copyright Woburn Daily Times Chronicle, written by Charles C. Ryan, used with permission

Articles from 1981

April 1 - They are not statistics
copyright Woburn Daily Times Chronicle, written by Charles C. Ryan, used with permission
June 9 - 65 chemicals found in subsurface water
copyright Woburn Daily Times Chronicle, written by Charles C. Ryan, used with permission

Lawsuits Filed in Federal and State Courts

Articles from 1986

early 1986 - Another family sues W.R. Grace (Acrobat (PDF) 91kB Jul3 06)
copyright Woburn Daily Times Chronicle, used with permission
January 9 - '60 Minutes' investigates Woburn water woes (Acrobat (PDF) 97kB Jul3 06)
copyright Woburn Daily Times Chronicle, written by Laurel Lucas, used with permission

Federal Trial Begins - Plaintiffs' Present Case

March 19 - Aerial photos shown to jurors (Acrobat (PDF) 98kB Jul3 06)
copyright Woburn Daily Times Chronicle, written by Dan Kennedy, used with permission
May 7 - Judge Skinner ruling comes as victory to plaintiffs' lawyers (Acrobat (PDF) 88kB Jul3 06)
copyright Woburn Daily Times Chronicle, written by Mark Sullivan, used with permission
May 8 - Expert says two companies polluted G & H wells (Acrobat (PDF) 108kB Jul3 06)
copyright Woburn Daily Times Chronicle, written by Mark Sullivan, used with permission
May 9 - Charts, diagrams show how chemicals reached water wells (Acrobat (PDF) 87kB Jul3 06)
copyright Woburn Daily Times Chronicle, written by Mark Sullivan, used with permission
May 14 - Data shows wells may draw river water (Acrobat (PDF) 37kB Jul3 06)
copyright Woburn Daily Times Chronicle, written by Dan Kennedy, used with permission
May 15 - Judge Skinner questions credibility of witness (Acrobat (PDF) 53kB Jul3 06)
copyright Woburn Daily Times Chronicle, written by Dan Kennedy, used with permission
May 16 - 1978 report said aquifer draws from Aberjona River (Acrobat (PDF) 46kB Jul3 06)
copyright Woburn Daily Times Chronicle, written by Dan Kennedy, used with permission
May 19 - A difficult week for plaintiffs' scientist in toxic trial (Acrobat (PDF) 33kB Jul3 06)
copyright Woburn Daily Times Chronicle, written by Dan Kennedy, used with permission
May 21 - Chemical findings are inconsistent (Acrobat (PDF) 47kB Jul3 06)
copyright Woburn Daily Times Chronicle, written by Dan Kennedy, used with permission
May 23 - Pinder calls testifying 'exhaustive, exhausting' (Acrobat (PDF) 37kB Jul3 06)
copyright Woburn Daily Times Chronicle, written by Dan Kennedy, used with permission
May 29 - Plaintiffs may conclude case today or Monday (Acrobat (PDF) 42kB Jul3 06)
copyright Woburn Daily Times Chronicle, written by Dan Kennedy, used with permission

Beatrice Presents Case

May 30 - Cryovac manager requested barrel disposal (Acrobat (PDF) 41kB Jul3 06)
copyright Woburn Daily Times Chronicle, written by Dan Kennedy, used with permission
June 5 - Judge's ruling has something for all participants (Acrobat (PDF) 59kB Jul3 06)
copyright Woburn Daily Times Chronicle, written by Dan Kennedy, used with permission
June 9 - Plaintiffs' lawyer knocks biodegradation theory (Acrobat (PDF) 47kB Jul3 06)
copyright Woburn Daily Times Chronicle, written by Dan Kennedy, used with permission
June 10 - (City) Engineer Mernin testifies (Acrobat (PDF) 47kB Jul3 06)
copyright Woburn Daily Times Chronicle, written by Dan Kennedy, used with permission
June 11 - City, State concerned about chemicals - Mernin (Acrobat (PDF) 138kB Jul6 06)
copyright Woburn Daily Times Chronicle, written by Dan Kennedy, used with permission
June 12 - River is a barrier, says Beatrice (Acrobat (PDF) 99kB Jul3 06)
copyright Woburn Daily Times Chronicle, written by Dan Kennedy, used with permission
June 13 - Beatrice defends groundwater model (Acrobat (PDF) 102kB Jul5 06)
copyright Woburn Daily Times Chronicle, written by Dan Kennedy, used with permission

W.R. Grace Presents Case

June 16 - Grace opens its defense (Acrobat (PDF) 110kB Jul3 06)
copyright Woburn Daily Times Chronicle, written by Dan Kennedy, used with permission
June 17 - Buried barrels did not contaminate site (Acrobat (PDF) 111kB Jul3 06)
copyright Woburn Daily Times Chronicle, written by Dan Kennedy, used with permission
June 18 - TCE continues to flow off Cryovac site (Acrobat (PDF) 39kB Jul3 06)
copyright Woburn Daily Times Chronicle, written by Dan Kennedy, used with permission
June 20 - Fish death mystery prompted Aberjona study (Acrobat (PDF) 38kB Jul3 06)
copyright Woburn Daily Times Chronicle, written by Dan Kennedy, used with permission
June 25 - Grace witnesses' testimony implicates Beatrice (Acrobat (PDF) 110kB Jul3 06)
copyright Woburn Daily Times Chronicle, written by Dan Kennedy, used with permission
July 2 - Leukemia jurists visit well G and H area (Acrobat (PDF) 55kB Jul3 06)
copyright Woburn Daily Times Chronicle, written by Dan Kennedy, used with permission

Closing Arguments

July 15 - Toxic waste case is given to the jury (Acrobat (PDF) 71kB Jul3 06)
copyright Woburn Daily Times Chronicle, written by Dan Kennedy, used with permission

Trial Given to Jury

July 18 - Judge rejects request by jury (Acrobat (PDF) 21kB Jul3 06)
copyright Woburn Daily Times Chronicle, written by Dan Kennedy, used with permission
July 21 - Deliberations enter second week (Acrobat (PDF) 19kB Jul3 06)
copyright Woburn Daily Times Chronicle, written by Dan Kennedy, used with permission
July 25 - DEADLOCK Judge tells jurors: Keep deliberating (Acrobat (PDF) 41kB Jul3 06)
copyright Woburn Daily Times Chronicle, written by Dan Kennedy, used with permission

Verdict

July 28 - Jury finds W.R. Grace liable (Acrobat (PDF) 235kB Jul3 06)

Trial Aftermath

July 29 - Toxic trial: The aftermath (Acrobat (PDF) 171kB Jul3 06)
copyright Woburn Daily Times Chronicle, written by Dan Kennedy, used with permission
July 29 - City to sue, families will appeal (Acrobat (PDF) 186kB Jul3 06)
copyright Woburn Daily Times Chronicle, written by Dan Kennedy, used with permission
September 23 - Plaintiffs express bitterness at Grace (Acrobat (PDF) 222kB Jul3 06)
copyright Woburn Daily Times Chronicle, written by Dan Kennedy, used with permission
September 23 - Jurors say Grace settlement is just (Acrobat (PDF) 77kB Jul3 06)
copyright Woburn Daily Times Chronicle, written by Dan Kennedy, used with permission
September 23 - 'A clear message to corporate America' (Acrobat (PDF) 152kB Jul3 06)
copyright Woburn Daily Times Chronicle, written by Dan Kennedy, used with permission
September 23 - Grace lawsuit included 33 plaintiffs (Acrobat (PDF) 104kB Jul3 06)
copyright Woburn Daily Times Chronicle, written by Dan Kennedy, used with permission
December - Contaminated Verdict (Acrobat (PDF) 504kB Jul3 06)
copyright The American Lawyer, written by Mitchell Pacelle, ______________

Articles from 1988

June 7 - EPA says benzene may have caused Woburn leukemias (Acrobat (PDF) 86kB Jul3 06)
copyright Woburn Daily Times Chronicle, written by Dan Kennedy, used with permission

Articles from 1989

Toxic Trial: Many Questions, Few Answers (Acrobat (PDF) 772kB Jul3 06)
copyright Dan Kennedy 1989, used with permission