Connecticut Attorney General William Tong has filed two lawsuits against 28 chemical manufacturers in which he accused them of knowingly contaminating the state’s waters and natural resources and harming public health with toxic PFAS “forever chemicals.”
The two complaints seek to hold the companies responsible for dangerous PFAS chemical contamination from two sources—aqueous film forming foam (AFFF) used in firefighting and chemicals used in manufacturing and added to consumer products including food packaging, cookware, carpeting, upholstery, clothing and cosmetics.
In announcing the lawsuit, Tong noted that nearly all humans have PFAS in their blood and can create adverse health effects including cancer, liver damage and diabetes. The chemicals used in PFAS can persist in the environment indefinitely.
The complaints seek both injunctive and monetary relief—compelling the companies to dispose of their toxic chemical stocks, abate all pollution in Connecticut, disclose all research, and to compensate the state for past and future remediation and testing expenses. The complaints seek tens of thousands of dollars per day in penalties for widespread violations of numerous state laws dating back decades. Among the companies being sued are 3M, BASF Corp., DuPont de Nemours Inc. and Tyco Fire Products Inc.
“PFAS chemicals are a toxic menace to human health and our environment,” said Tong. “These companies knew the truth decades ago, and they buried the evidence and lied to all of us. Because of that, we are dealing with widespread contamination of drinking water and natural resources across Connecticut. We are seeking to hold some of the world’s largest chemical manufacturers accountable for this massive public health and environmental catastrophe.”
