Ark. Plaintiff Seeks Defense Documents to Prove Conspiracy

EL DORADO, Ark. - An Arkansas plaintiff has moved for an order to compel defendants to produce documents he says illustrate a conspiracy among the Welding Fumes Industry Defense Group that began in 1984 to hide the dangers of manganese. Calloway v. Lincoln Electric Co., et al. No. CV04-0473-6 (Ark. Cir. Ct., Union Cty.).

In a May 30 motion filed in Arkansas' Union County Circuit Court, Ronald Calloway says the Welding Fumes Industry Defense Group (WFIDG) documented their conspiracy in 1984 and continues to conspire today.

According to Calloway, the documents show "actions taken by the welding industry co-conspirators in …