The U.S. Attorney’s Office in California announced on November 10 the indictment of 3M Company, DuPont and 16 other chemical companies,Accused them of long-term concealment of the fact that a class of chemical products pollutes the environment and endangers public health, and requires them to pay back the cost of cleaning up the pollution.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta said,The polyfluoroalkyl and perfluoroalkyl (PFAS) chemicals produced by the defendant companies have been used since the 1940s and 1950s. In a variety of consumer products, including fire extinguishers, non-stick pans, cleaning sprays, waterproof sporting goods, stain-resistant carpets, and cosmetics, because these compounds are extremely difficult to degrade in the natural environment , Once it enters the human blood, it will accumulate for a long time and is called a “permanent chemical”.
The prosecutors alleged that the defendant companies had known for decades that such chemicals were “toxic and harmful to human health and the environment, yet they continued to produce them for large-scale applications and concealed the harm from the public,” allowing related chemicals to seep into soil, waterways and consumer goods. It violates California consumer rights and environmental protection laws. Prosecutors also cited a federal law requiring companies to pay for cleaning up hazardous materials that seeped into soil and water.
The prosecutor pointed out that after years of investigation, it was found that the defendant companies knew that products containing PFAS had the risk of causing cancer, developmental disorders, osteoporosis and other diseases, but continued to promote such products to the public.
Associated Press reported that this isthe first statewide lawsuit related to PFAS pollution in the United States.
PFAS consists of a series of synthetic organic fluorides that are widely used in the manufacture of products with anti-fouling, water- and oil-proof properties, such as non-stick pan coatings.
According to Bonta, about 98% of California’s 39 million people have detectable PFAS residues in their blood. This substance is also widely found in California’s drinking water sources, lakes, rivers, and wildlife. .
3M issued a statement saying that the company “has always taken responsible actions on matters related to products containing PFAS and will defend the company’s reputation in environmental protection.” .
DuPont stated that DuPont has never produced fire extinguishing agents or the two PFAS compounds, perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS). The company believes that California prosecutors “sued the wrong person” and will actively safeguard DuPont’s “reputation for protecting safety, health and the environment.”
According to the Associated Press, U.S. companies have voluntarily phased out the production of toxic PFAS compounds, but a certain number of products are still on the market.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in June prompted state and territory governments to apply to the federal government for funding to clean up PFAS and other pollutants in drinking water based on the newly introduced infrastructure construction law. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, these chemicals are more dangerous than previously thought and may pose health risks even at undetectable levels. </span
