California Attorney General Rob Bonta has filed a lawsuit against 3M, DuPont, and several other companies, including DuPont's spin-off Chemours, for knowingly manufacturing and distributing toxic "forever chemicals" (PFAS) despite being aware of their harmful effects on human health and the environment. The lawsuit, filed in Alameda County, alleges that these companies engaged in a "decades-long campaign of deception" to conceal the dangers of PFAS, which have contaminated California's water, soil, wildlife, and the bloodstreams of 98% of its residents.
The state is seeking unspecified damages, penalties, and restitution to cover the "staggering" cleanup costs, which Bonta estimates could reach hundreds of millions of dollars. The lawsuit also aims to mandate the companies to treat and destroy PFAS contamination in drinking water, private wells, and wastewater systems, and to pay for environmental testing, medical monitoring, and replacement water. California also alleges that DuPont manipulated its corporate structure by spinning off its Performance Chemicals branch into Chemours in 2015, an action that reportedly reduced DuPont's assets by $20.85 billion, in an effort to evade financial liability. DuPont de Nemours, re-incorporated in 2019, claims it has never manufactured these chemicals and is not responsible for the actions of the former company.
PFAS, a class of thousands of chemicals, are resistant to degradation and persist indefinitely in the environment. The lawsuit specifically targets seven common PFAS found in California's water supplies. These chemicals have been linked to developmental defects, various cancers, adverse pregnancy outcomes, and immune system impacts. Despite internal knowledge of these risks dating back to the 1940s, companies like 3M and DuPont allegedly downplayed or denied the health concerns associated with PFAS, even after facing pressure from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Safer alternatives for products like firefighting foams, cookware, and food packaging are reportedly available.
