Judge Puts Chill On Lawsuit Over Pesticides At Kaneohe Marine Base Housing

A five-year legal battle by 172 service members and their families over pesticide exposure at Marine Corps Base Hawaii in Kaneohe appears to have hit a dead end.

They had sued the private landlord that operates housing at the military base, Ohana Military Communities, a firm owned by a Texas-based firm, The Hunt Cos., alleging the company failed to disclose harmful levels of pesticides to tenants before they moved in.

Attorneys for Ohana had repeatedly moved to have the lawsuits tossed out, saying that the homes were safe and that there was no evidence that the families had been exposed to harmful levels of pesticides. They said contaminated soil had been properly removed and contained.

In a ruling issued Thursday, U.S. District Court Judge Leslie Kobayashi ruled for Ohana, saying that she was granting the company’s motion for summary judgment on the most significant remaining claims because the plaintiffs had failed to provide enough admissible evidence to prove their case.

Read more: https://www.civilbeat.org/2019/08/judge-puts-chill-on-pesticide-lawsuit-involving-kaneohe-marine-base-housing/