Docken and Company filed an environmental class action lawsuit in 2005 against the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) for contaminating the groundwater in the Ogden area in Calgary with TCE. Trichloroethylene (otherwise known as TCE) is a colourless liquid that was used as a solvent for many years to remove grease from metal parts. Recently TCE has been found in the groundwater underneath the Ogden community in Calgary. Docken & Company's class action suit alleges that this contamination was caused by the use of TCE at CPR's rail yard in Ogden.
Once TCE gets into the groundwater it forms a "plume" that can contaminate a very large area. It is believed that the plume under the Ogden neighborhood covers many city blocks. Once the TCE contaminates the groundwater its vapors can rise to the surface and contaminate homes or other buildings. Several residents of Ogden have had their homes tested for TCE. In some case the TCE was found to be at unsafe levels and fans had to be installed to divert TCE vapors from homes.
Although there is some dispute over TCE's adverse health effects, there is evidence that low-level exposure to TCE over a long period may increase the chances of liver and kidney problems, including cancer. Higher levels of TCE have also been associated with disorders of the nervous, immune and endocrine systems, as well as with developmental problems.