PFAS Health Risks Legal News Articles & Interviews

Charleston, SC On August 29, the District Court for the District of South Carolina preliminarily approved a revision to the $12.5 billion proposed settlement in a class action perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl lawsuit brought by a long list of water utilities. The settlement was reached after a five-year legal battle that involved 37.4 million pages of discovery documents and more than 160 depositions. The revision is specifically designed to protect the utilities from some future liabilities.

Greenbelt, MD On August 4, Maryland’s largest water utility, the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission (WSSC), filed a perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl (PFAS/PFOA) lawsuit against 3M and DuPont de Nemours among other defendants. Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission v. 3M Company alleges that the PFAS manufacturers made and marketed PFAS-contaminated fire-suppression foams and concealed the toxic nature of the materials from the public.

Stuart, FL On June 22, the 3M Company announced that it had agreed to settle a perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl (PFAS/PFOA) lawsuit brought by the City of Stuart, Florida for $10.3 billion. This will end the first bellwether PFAS lawsuit brought as part of the multidistrict litigation consolidated in the District of South Carolina. The settlement follows similar agreements made by Chemours, DuPont and Corteva. More settlements may be on the horizon. The collective judgment of the chemical companies seems to be that limiting future financial liability may be the best they can do. Although the details of each of these toxic contamination lawsuits are different, some facts are common.

Waterville, ME Waterville, Maine, on the banks of the Kennebec River, is 23 miles northeast of Augusta, the capital of Maine. In 2021 it had a population of 15,828. More to the point, however, Waterville’s drinking water is contaminated with perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl (PFAS/PFOA) compounds, a situation faced by many towns and cities.

Kingston, RI A University of Rhode Island study has confirmed that increased PFAS content in blood promotes weight gain and makes it harder to keep a lower body weight after weight loss. Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl (PFAS/PFOA) “forever chemicals” have previously been linked to a variety of health conditions, including cancers, liver disease and thyroid disease. The newly-found connection with obesity effectively doubles the health risks caused by this environmental contaminant.

Washington, DC New reports suggest that technological innovations may be effective in scrubbing perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl (PFAS/PFOA) “forever chemicals” from the nation’s drinking water. These innovations suggest part of a prospective remedy for the widespread health and environmental damage caused by these chemicals.

New York, NY In late January, Thinx, Inc. announced that it had reached a $5 million settlement agreement to end Dickens v. Thinx, Inc., a class action perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl (PFAS/PFOA) lawsuit. Thinx will provide up to $5 million to reimburse consumers who bought the company’s signature period underwear between November 12, 2016 and November 28, 2022. To put this in perspective, reimbursements are limited to $7.00 per pair (up to 3 pairs) for consumers who still have receipts and $3.50 per pair (same limit) for those who do not. The initial purchase price of these undies runs up to $35.00 per pair.

Santa Clara, CA 3M Company, which manufactures toxic per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) products, has promised to end production of ‘forever chemicals” by 2025. Critics say 3M’s move is related to its more than 3,000 firefighter foam cancer lawsuits, and attorneys anticipate more product liability complaints. Will the company make good its commitment? Will it stop making Scotchgard products?

Alameda, CA  On November 10, the state of California filed a perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl (PFAS/PFOA) lawsuit in California Superior Court against 3M Co. and more than a dozen other defendants involved in the manufacture and distribution of these toxic “forever chemicals.” California v. 3M Company alleges that these substances, which have been widely used in the manufacture of products from firefighting foam to dental floss, have contaminated soil and water supplies and are now found in the bloodstreams of 98 percent of California’s 39 million people. Even at low concentrations, they have been linked to cancer and a variety of other health problems.

Washington, DC Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl (PFAS/PFOA) foams have been a staple of military and civilian firefighting operations for sixty years. But their usefulness in fighting liquid fuel fires comes at a steep price for the planet and human health.