“This is a huge fight and a huge case,” State Attorney General William Tong said.
State Attorney General William Tong is taking a major step in the fight against PFAS, most commonly known as a forever chemical.
“They are called forever chemicals because they get into our water supply, our environment, even our blood stream and they basically never go away and they are everywhere,” Tong said.
Tong’s office filed two lawsuits, naming a total of 28 chemical manufacturers. The lawsuits claim the companies knew for decades dangerous chemicals were contaminating Connecticut waterways and harming public health.
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“We need to hold them accountable for lying to us about how pervasive and dangerous these chemicals are, how long they stay in our environment, how dangerous they are to human beings and to animals and to get them to pay to clean it up,” Tong said.
One lawsuit focuses on the harm of firefighting foam containing PFAS and the second lawsuit focuses on the manufacturing of everyday products containing dangerous chemicals like cooking pans, cosmetics and microwaveable popcorn.
“It is so pervasive, and we have seen now in the research that it is linked to liver disease and damage, to various cancers, birth defects,” Tong said.
The State Fire Administrator is calling the litigation historic action. In 2019, several firefighters were on scene using the foam to contain an area at Bradley International Airport. Thousands of gallons of foam later surfaced in the Farmington River.
“We know for certain, Connecticut firefighters' health is disproportionately impacted by PFAS exposure and contamination,” State Fire Administrator Jeff Morrissette said.
In 2021, the state banned the use of firefighting foam containing PFAS.
“The good news is we have identified alternatives, green alternatives to the firefighting foam so we can continue to have safe fire suppression,” Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) Commissioner Katie Dykes said.
The 28 companies are facing several counts, including public nuisance, negligence and civil conspiracy. The state is seeking injunctive and monetary relief from the companies.
“We want them to pay as much as they can to help us remediate this problem, and to fight the public health effects on everyone here in CT,” Tong said.
Dupont de Nemours is listed in the lawsuit. A spokesperson issued the following statement:
“In 2019, DuPont de Nemours was established as a new multi-industrial specialty products company. DuPont de Nemours has never manufactured PFOA, PFOS or firefighting foam. While we don’t comment on pending litigation matters, we believe this complaint is without merit, and we look forward to vigorously defending our record of safety, health and environmental stewardship.”
3M is also named in the court documents. The company issued the following statement:
“As the science and technology of PFAS, societal and regulatory expectations, and our expectations of ourselves have evolved, so has how we manage PFAS. We have and will continue to deliver on our commitments – including remediating PFAS as appropriate, investing in water treatment, and collaborating with communities. 3M will address PFAS litigation by defending itself in court or through negotiated resolutions, all as appropriate.”
