Exposure

Poisoned Water, Corporate Greed, and One Lawyer's Twenty-Year Battle Against DuPont

By: Robert Bilott, Mark Ruffalo - introduction

Narrated by: Jeremy Bobb

“For Erin Brockovich fans, a David vs. Goliath tale with a twist” (The New York Times Book Review)—the incredible true story of the lawyer who spent two decades building a case against DuPont for its use of the hazardous chemical PFOA, uncovering the worst case of environmental contamination in history—affecting virtually every person on the planet—and the conspiracy that kept it a secret for sixty years.

The story that inspired Dark Waters, the major motion picture from Focus Features starring Mark Ruffalo and Anne Hathaway, directed by Todd Haynes.

1998: Rob Bilott is a young lawyer specializing in helping big corporations stay on the right side of environmental laws and regulations. Then he gets a phone call from a West Virginia farmer named Earl Tennant, who is convinced the creek on his property is being poisoned by runoff from a neighboring DuPont landfill, causing his cattle and the surrounding wildlife to die in hideous ways. Earl hasn’t even been able to get a water sample tested by any state or federal regulatory agency or find a local lawyer willing to take the case. As soon as they hear the name DuPont—the area’s largest employer—they shut him down.

Once Rob sees the thick, foamy water that bubbles into the creek, the gruesome effects it seems to have on livestock, and the disturbing frequency of cancer and other health problems in the area, he’s persuaded to fight against the type of corporation his firm routinely represents. After intense legal wrangling, Rob ultimately gains access to hundreds of thousands of pages of DuPont documents, some of them fifty years old, that reveal the company has been holding onto decades of studies proving the harmful effects of a chemical called PFOA, used in making Teflon. PFOA is often called a “forever chemical,” because once in the environment, it does not break down or degrade for millions of years, contaminating the planet forever. The case of one farmer soon spawns a class action suit on behalf of seventy thousand residents—and the shocking realization that virtually every person on the planet has been exposed to PFOA and carries the chemical in his or her blood.

What emerges is a riveting legal drama “in the grand tradition of Jonathan Harr’s A Civil Action” (Booklist, starred review) about malice and manipulation, the failings of environmental regulation; and one lawyer’s twenty-year struggle to expose the truth about this previously unknown—and still unregulated—chemical that we all have inside us.

Rob Bilott: selfless superhero

One man raised awareness of one of the most widespread and damaging chemicals in the world. We need more Rob Bilotts in this world.

Compelling!

I had actually already watch the movie, so I had the gist of what was going to happen, but I was still kept wanting more of the story every chapter that went by. All I can say now is thank God that there are still good people in this world.

Impeccable Writing; Heroic Lawyer; Beautiful Read

A+++ all around
Not one dull moment
Outstanding writing
Beautiful story
Inspiring attorney
One of the best readers, so easy to listen to and natural
A must read for anyone interested in law or justice

An Amazing American Legal Story

In the past few years, lawyers have written very well telling stories of their lives. Kamala Harris, John Kerry, Elizabeth Warren, J.D. “Hillbilly Elegy” Vance are examples. Other lawyers have written wonderful books of their experiences with specific issues such as Madeline Albright, Andrew McCabe, James Comey, Bryan “Just Mercy” Stevenson and Doug Jones et. al. for Building Towards Justice. So, the bar has been set pretty high, and unfortunately Robert Bilott doesn’t meet the standard. His writing style is often disconnected ranging from personal feelings, excessive work, his connection with lawyers and litigants and his astounding efforts as a plaintiff lawyer trying to bring Dupont to justice for knowingly poisoning virtually everyone with PFOA and PFOS chemicals causing thousands to suffer from everything from kidney disease to cancer.
It is a wonderful story told by a lawyer who dedicated decades of his life to ultimately successfully bringing the 35th largest company in America to some significant legal financial responsibility. While there are times when one doesn’t quite understand the complexity of the litigation, he tries to bring it to us with a fundamental understanding of an extremely complex legal, scientific and ultimately moral story. So, the minor quibbles about style or even his fairly humorless writing pales when one learns of the myriad pressures and stonewalling that Mr. Bilott endured at the hands of Dupont and their attorneys. I disagree with the New York Times that this story is skillfully told, but that shouldn’t detract from everyone learning this truly American tale of money and legal camouflage versus a dedicated, unbelievably hard-working lawyer seeking justice for the many victims of Dupont’s duplicity. It is a story that continues after the book ends, so more is yet to come. Hopefully for us, Attorney Bilott will see it through.

Fury into Action

I got this book after the movie peaked my interest. An incredible read that will infuriate you and drive you to question many things about life in the USA...from regulatory bodies to drinking water.