$100-Billion Suit Accuses Paper Firms of Dioxin Poisonings

Giants in the U.S. paper industry face a class-action lawsuit seeking $100 billion in damages that accuses them of causing dioxin poisoning.

The suit, filed in Texas state court, contends that pulp and paper mills have been dumping dioxin, a known carcinogen, into streams and rivers across the country, causing a health hazard. The suit names 34 defendants, among them Temple-Inland Inc., Boise Cascade Corp., Champion International Corp., Weyerhaeuser Co., Scott Paper Co. and Louisiana-Pacific Corp.

Also named is the American Paper Institute.