New Lawsuit Targets Holley Plant
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WATER VALLEY — More than three dozen plaintiffs have filed a lawsuit in the Circuit Court of Yalobusha County alleging that long-term exposure to the industrial solvent trichloroethylene, commonly known as TCE, at the former Holley Automotive plant caused cancer and led to multiple wrongful deaths.
The 41-page complaint was filed Feb. 24, 2026, and includes both personal injury claims brought by individuals who are living and seven wrongful death claims brought on behalf of deceased former workers or residents
Named in the lawsuit are John Terrell Allen; Terry Lee Anthony; Gwen Hagar Armstrong; James Birks; Dora Pearl Black; Robert Bland; George Booker; Catherine Fox Brown; Carolyn Levette Buford; Jimmy Lee Bynum; Raymond Carr; Sandra Churchill; Sharon Crenshaw; Willie Roger Criss; Jerry Lynn Dickey; Melba Dickey; Charlene Dudley; Henry Dale Fly; Kathleen Martin Fly; James A. Gooch; Barry Griffin; Steven Guthrie; Mose Henderson; Barbara Lynten Herod-Hence; Minnie Horton; Walter Odell Horton; Tammy Hubbard; Ralph Hughes; Joe Willie Jenkins; Peggy Jenkins; Donnie Johnsney; Lee Johnson; Tamara Johnson; Stefanie Johnson; Carolyn Jones; and Emily Chambers.
The complaint also lists wrongful death claims involving Jessie Armstrong; Evelyn Bland; Bobby Martin; Bernadette Guthrie; Willie Lee Baker; Samuel Jones; and Beverly Regis.
According to the filing, TCE was used for decades as a degreasing solvent at the plant beginning in the early 1970s. The complaint alleges that the chemical was stored, handled and disposed of in a manner that allowed it to contaminate soil and groundwater and that the contamination spread north and northwest of the plant site in what has long been referred to as a plume.
Plaintiffs allege exposure occurred through multiple pathways, including direct workplace contact, inhalation of vapors and contact with contaminated groundwater. The complaint cites federal research identifying TCE as a carcinogen and alleges that prolonged exposure is linked to various cancers and other serious health conditions.
The defendants named in the lawsuit include Detrex Corporation; Italmatch USA Corporation; WSP USA Inc.; First Environment Inc.; AAE Consulting LLC; Dames & Moore Inc.; W.L. Burle Engineers P.A.; Avant Construction; Kevin Moore; Michael Slack; and John Doe corporations.
The complaint alleges that Detrex manufactured the degreasing equipment and supplied TCE used at the plant and that corporate successors and environmental consulting firms were involved in oversight, remediation or related activities.
Plaintiffs assert that contamination was not properly contained or remediated and that warnings and safety measures were insufficient.
The lawsuit asserts causes of action including negligence, products liability and wrongful death and seeks compensatory damages for medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering and loss of enjoyment of life. The plaintiffs also request punitive damages and have demanded a jury trial.
The new state court filing comes one day after a related federal lawsuit filed in June 2024 by eight former workers ended when the plaintiffs filed a notice of voluntary dismissal in U.S. District Court on Feb. 23, 2026. That federal case had generated multiple amended complaints and motions to dismiss, including arguments by defendants that workplace injury claims fall under the Mississippi Workers’ Compensation Act.
Attorney George “Boo” Hollowell, counsel for the plaintiffs, said workers’ compensation claims connected to some of the plaintiffs are proceeding separately.
Under Mississippi law, workplace injury claims are handled through the Mississippi Workers’ Compensation Commission, an administrative agency that oversees employer-funded insurance benefits. The system provides payment for reasonable and necessary medical treatment and limited wage-replacement benefits, generally about two-thirds of an employee’s average weekly wage, subject to statutory caps.
The law also includes death benefits for dependents in fatal cases. However, workers’ compensation does not provide damages for pain and suffering or punitive damages.
Earlier litigation tied to the site resulted in confidential settlements in 2019 involving Yalobusha County and Yalobusha General Hospital, which received $3 million, and a separate settlement involving more than 30 property owners located within the approximately 340-acre contamination plume.
State regulators have previously reported that public drinking water drawn from deep aquifers has not tested positive for TCE and that remediation efforts remain under oversight by the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality.
No responses had been filed by defendants in the new circuit court case as of press time. The allegations in the complaint represent claims made by the plaintiffs and have not been proven in court.
Lawsuit Follows Nearly A Decade Of Legal Maneuvering
WATER VALLEY — The wrongful death and personal injury lawsuit filed Feb. 24 in Yalobusha County Circuit Court is the latest development in a long-running legal and regulatory saga tied to trichloroethylene contamination at the former Holley Automotive plant on Highway 32 East.
The history stretches back more than 50 years.
According to multiple lawsuits filed over the past decade, TCE, an industrial solvent used for degreasing metal parts, was utilized at the Holley Automotive Division of Colt Industries beginning around 1972. Court filings have alleged that between 1973 and 1987 the chemical was released into the environment, contaminating soil and groundwater. A groundwater plume extending approximately 340 acres north and northwest of the former plant site has been referenced in numerous legal filings and regulatory documents.
Public scrutiny intensified in 2016 after updated federal guidance regarding vapor intrusion prompted renewed evaluation of the site. Vapor intrusion occurs when chemical vapors migrate upward through soil and enter buildings.
The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) issued an administrative order directing EnPro, the corporate successor responsible for environmental liability, to implement a vapor intrusion assessment and groundwater corrective action plan. Remediation efforts under have included groundwater recovery wells, in-situ chemical injections and sub-slab depressurization systems designed to prevent vapors from entering buildings.
Environmental covenants were recorded on dozens of properties within the plume area restricting installation of groundwater wells without regulatory approval.
State health officials have previously reported that public drinking water drawn from deep aquifers has not tested positive for TCE, and regulatory oversight of remediation remains under MDEQ.
In 2017, then-Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood filed a lawsuit against corporate successors tied to the site. That litigation has involved remediation and environmental oversight issues and has continued to move through the court system over several years.
In early 2019, Yalobusha County and Yalobusha General Hospital filed a federal environmental lawsuit alleging contamination damaged county-owned property located within the plume area, including the hospital, nursing home, health department and other facilities. In December 2019, the parties announced a confidential settlement. Two months later, in February 2020, supervisors confirmed the county received $3 million in settlement proceeds. Although the agreement itself is confidential, the payment of public funds is subject to public law and disclosure.
A separate federal lawsuit filed by 33 property owners inside the affected area also ended in settlement in late 2019.
On June 4, 2024, eight former Holley and BorgWarner workers filed a federal lawsuit alleging workplace exposure to TCE caused cancers and other serious health conditions. That case generated multiple amended complaints and a series of motions to dismiss filed by defendants, including arguments related to jurisdiction and workers’ compensation law. On Feb. 23, 2026, the plaintiffs filed a notice of voluntary dismissal, ending the federal case.
One day later, more than three dozen plaintiffs filed a new lawsuit in Yalobusha County Circuit Court naming multiple corporations and individuals in connection with alleged exposure and remediation failures
No responses have yet been filed in the new case. The allegations contained in the complaint represent claims made by the plaintiffs and have not been proven in court.
