Three of the chemical companies that have been producing toxic PFAS chemicals*–DuPont de Nemours Inc., The Chemours Co. and Corteva Inc.(Chemours and Corteva are spinoffs of DuPont)–have recently reached a $1.18 billion deal to resolve complaints that their products* have polluted many U.S. drinking water systems** with toxic PFAS chemicals. The companies have agreed to establish a fund to compensate water providers for contamination with the toxic chemicals.
The timing of the agreement to financially contribute to the toxic cleanup of U.S. drinking water is not by accident…it helps to settle thousands pending lawsuits, including one that was set to go to trial this week.
Lawsuits against PFAS manufacturers are pending in U.S. District Court in Charleston, South Carolina, where Judge Richard Gergel is overseeing thousands of complaints alleging PFAS damages. Among the plaintiffs are water providers, airports, and a number of states and private well owners. If Judge Gergel approves the deal, he will set a timetable for notifying water providers who might stake claims. Water providers are free to opt out and pursue separate cases, but participants will get funds to address PFAS contamination immediately.
The agreement does not settle thousands of cases against other PFAS makers and dealers. Among them are 3M, the primary manufacturer of firefighting foam containing the toxic PFAS compounds; Tyco Fire Products; and Chemguard.
Source: AP
Also see: Arkansas Attorney General Files Against DuPont and 30+ Defendants in PFAS Suit
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*PFAS chemicals (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) are toxic to humans, animals and the environment. They are comprised of approximately 14,000 human-made chemical compounds. The chemicals are ubiquitous in the U.S., appearing in thousands of consumer and industrial products and are typically used to make products resist water, stains and heat, including household products (like carpeting, curtains, furniture upholstery, waterproof and stain-resistant flooring, etc.), cooking supplies (including cooking utensils and bake ware), clothing, personal care products (like cosmetics, including waterproof mascara, dental floss, contact lenses and feminine hygiene products) and even food (PFAS appears in processed food packaging for humans and pets) and public drinking water (tap water) that affects an estimated 2 million Americans. PFAS chemicals are usually found in products labeled “stain-proof” and “waterproof”. PFAS chemicals also appear in fire-fighting foam and other industrial products used at airports and military bases across the country, where the chemicals have leached into the groundwater. PFAS chemicals are known as “forever chemicals” because they do not readily break down in the environment or human body. PFAS chemicals have been linked in scientific and medical studies to a variety of serious health conditions including cancer (which includes testicular and kidney cancers), kidney disease, heart disease, thyroid problems, reproductive problems, endocrine problems (PFAS has been found to disrupt hormonal functions with some research suggesting that the PFAS chemicals are linked to accelerated ovarian aging, period irregularities and ovarian disorders like polycystic ovarian syndrome) and liver problems. Some newer PFAS have been found to accumulate in organs, so in some cases, science simply cannot detect the toxic chemicals when testing for it in blood.
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**PFAS compounds have been detected at varying levels in drinking water around the nation. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently proposed strict limits on two common types of PFAS chemicals, PFOA and PFOS, and said it would also regulate four others. Water providers are responsible for monitoring their systems for the chemicals.
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Eric
Chemical Free Life 