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New Bill Stems from Kimball Carbon Monoxide Tragedy

Photo: Hemera Technologies, Photos.com

Jun 28, 2012 at 7:31 am

WASHINGTON (KNSI) - Sixteen years ago, two young boys from Kimball were killed in their home while sleeping. They were poisoned by carbon monoxide.

Now, Senators Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota and Olympia Snowe of Maine introduced a bill in their memory. The Nicholas and Zachary Burt Memorial Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Prevention Act would empower the Consumer Product Safety Commission to enforce tougher standards to help ensure carbon monoxide detectors are safe and reliable.

The bill would also make safety standards mandatory for all C-O detectors sold in the U.S. Nicholas Burt was just four years old when he died, and his brother Zachary was one year old.

Parents blamed the death on a faulty furnace, and were awarded almost two-million dollars in a wrongful death lawsuit.