New York sues 3M, DuPont over ‘forever chemicals’ in drinking water 

MANHATTAN (CN) — New York sued chemical manufacturers including 3M and DuPont on Thursday over contamination of the state’s drinking water with toxic “forever chemicals.”

In the 74-page complaint filed in Albany County Supreme Court, New York Attorney General Letitia James claims the companies’ use of polyfluoroalkyl substances, known as PFAS, in the production of household products exposed state residents to increased risks of certain cancers, birth defects, liver disease and other health problems.

“As a result of defendants’ conduct, PFAS … are in the water we drink, the soil that sustains our crops, the fish we catch and the air we breathe,” the state says in the complaint.

PFAS are known for their strong resistance to environmental degradation. They travel easily through water and air and can accumulate over time in plants and animals, including humans.

Their exceptional durability made PFAS a popular choice for consumer products throughout much of the 20th century. Variants of PFAS were used in DuPont’s line of nonstick cookware starting in the 1960s, and later in fabric treatments, weather-resistant paints and hair products. Sold nationally from 1986 to 2004, the company’s stain-resistant carpeting line Stainmaster also utilized “forever chemicals."

3M used PFAS in its Scotchgard line of products designed to repel water and stains on fabric, wood, outdoor gear and car interiors.

James argues the defendants — which also include DuPont spinoffs Chemours, Corteva and EIDP — were fully aware of the chemicals’ risks as they manufactured and sold products containing PFAS. Despite this, they failed to warn consumers.

Even after announcing plans to phase out some PFAS compounds in the early 2000s, the state claims the companies continued to shield consumers from the full scope of the chemicals’ risks. In some cases, the companies merely replaced one “forever chemical” with another.

“Big companies like 3M and DuPont knowingly sold toxic products that threatened New Yorkers’ health and polluted our environment for decades. It’s time for them to pay for the damage they caused,” James said in a statement announcing the lawsuit. “For far too long, our communities have unfairly shouldered the costs of protecting people from these toxic forever chemicals and cleaning up their contamination. I look forward to ensuring the companies responsible for PFAS pollution are held accountable.”

James seeks a court order requiring the companies to fund statewide cleanup efforts and pay damages, disgorgement and restitution. She also asks the court to prohibit the companies from selling products containing PFAS without adequate warnings.

None of the companies immediately responded to requests for comment.

The lawsuit is the latest in a series of government actions over PFAS contamination. Earlier this year, Minnesota sued 3M in its own state court system, claiming a manufacturing plant owned by the company contaminated groundwater in the Mississippi River with PFAS.

In 2023, 3M settled a batch of similar pollution lawsuits for $10.3 billion, funding a national cleanup of public water supplies. Chemours, DuPont and Corteva separately agreed to a $1.1 billion settlement resolving similar claims.

Australia filed its own lawsuit earlier this year, accusing 3M of concealing information about the harmful effects of PFAS used in firefighting foams at military sites across the country. The government seeks $1.4 billion in damages.

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