Now, the safety of that gas station and its underground storage tanks is under question. Fresno attorney Warren Paboojian has sued the county, saying his 10 clients —all of whom once worked at the courthouse — developed rare cancers often attributed to exposure to the chemicals found in gasoline.
Paboojian says it’s unknown how much harm the fumes and leaks from the gas station and its tanks have caused to current and former courthouse employees. He adds that limited studies were done in 1990, 2007, and 2008. However, he says the tests weren’t comprehensive enough to accurately portray the dangers of the underground fueling operation.
“This is just a glimpse in time with these 10 (clients),” said Paboojian. “I don’t know how many people have passed away at the courthouse from leukemia or non-Hodgkins (lymphoma) or MDS — we don’t know.”