My house is full of toxic gas (Barratt Homes)

Member Name: poisoned+broke

Product:	Barratt Homes
Date:	04/01/06 (853 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Absolutely none

Disadvantages: Lost my life savings, owe Abbey >£90k, may have lifelong health damage

My house is full of naphthalene, a toxic gas that is potentially cancer-causing. Barratt East London are aware of this, but have failed to remove the contamination source. Instead,for the last five years they and Newham Borough Council have been in 'without prejudice' negotiations about sealing the cellar floor of the 8 houses affected. We have no guarantee that such a barrier method will provide a permanent solution. They have caused the health hazard by creating a pathway between the contamination source and the residents (Environmental Act 1990).In 2002, the air in my house was found to contain 700 times the legal US limit for chronic inhalation of naphthalene. Sadly the UK has no such safety limit, and has yet to relist naphthalene as a potential human carcinogen, as the US legislation describes it. This loophole is why Newham Borough Council have acted with no urgency; they have declared the toxic land under our properties as 'statutorily contaminated' stating that the organic waste it contains represents 'a significant risk to human health over a period of time' - but apparently consider 5 years as being an acceptable period for us to breath the gas in. I cannot sell or rent out the property as to do so would be to put others at risk. I suffered from kidney problems, asthma and migraines when I lived there and still have a sensitivity to organic compounds (they spark off debilitating migraines). All these health problems have been related to naphthalene exposure in medical research. The properties are worthless and my mortgage is in massive arrears. Barratt Directors have ignored repeated requests to meet and do not communicate directly with us. Theirs is a cynical strategy of attrition. The houses are within two miles of the proposed site for the Olympic Village. Newham Borough Council has awarded Barratt East London a major contract related to the 2012 Olympics. We can't afford the legal costs to sue Barratt, and I'm worried that eventually someone will get cancer. I cannot recommend that anyone buys from Barratt as this company has no discernible ethical principles.

Summary: Barrat won't take responsibility for building on toxic land