Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro LLP, a plaintiffs’ class-action law firm, has filed a lawsuit against Teck Mining Company (TSE: TCK) alleging that decades of dumping hazardous chemicals and pollutants into the Columbia River has led to a host of diseases and health problems for those living downstream in the Northport, Wash., area.

Teck owned and operated a smelter in Trail, B.C., approximately 20 miles north of Northport, since 1896. According to the complaint filed by Hagens Berman on Dec. 20, 2013, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Washington, Teck has a long history of toxic discharges and emissions, which have allegedly contributed to a disproportionately high instance of disease for those living downstream of the Trail smelter.