LANSING, MI (WKZO AM/FM) — Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer and Attorney General Dana Nessel have announced a lawsuit against 17 companies over PFAS contamination allegations.
During a press conference Tuesday, Whitmer and Nessel were joined by Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE) Director Liesl Clark to announce that the suit was filed in Washtenaw County.
“Since taking office, I’ve been deliberate and focused on protecting our Great Lakes and cleaning up our drinking water,” Whitmer said in a statement. “Michigan has been established as a national leader in identifying, monitoring and addressing contamination caused by PFAS. As such, we must continue to protect communities all across our state from harmful PFAS chemicals by holding polluters accountable. Future generations of Michiganders are counting on us to get to work today.”
The lawsuit alleges that the companies named “deliberately concealed the dangers of PFAS and withheld scientific evidence, and intentionally, knowingly and recklessly sold, distributed, released, transported, supplied, arranged for disposal or treatment, and handled and used PFAS and PFAS-containing materials in Michigan in a way that they knew would contaminate natural resources and expose Michigan residents to harm.”
The full list of defendants can be viewed below:
- Minnesota Mining & Manufacturing Co., AKA 3M;
- DuPont, including its historic corporate self/identity/entity, as well as its post-merger-and-spinoff self – DuPont de Nemours Inc., AKA “New DuPont”;
- The Chemours Co., a spinoff of DuPont, and its subsidiary (The Chemours Co. FC LLX);
- Corteva Inc., another DuPont spinoff which was part of Defendant Dow DuPont;
- Dyneon LLC;
- Archroma entities;
- Arkema entities;
- AGC Chemicals Americas Inc.;
- Daikin Industries entities;
- Solvay Specialty Polymers, USA LLC; and
- Asahi Kasei Plastics North America Inc.
According to Nessel, 74 contaminated sites have been identified in Michigan so far.
“We bring this action today on behalf of the people of Michigan,” Nessel said. “It is our responsibility to protect our residents and our state’s natural resources and property by preventing and abating hazards to public health, safety, welfare and the environment – and by placing the responsibility for this massive undertaking with those responsible for creating the problem.”
The lawsuit also alleges that these companies either knew or should have known the following:
- PFAS persist in the environment and do not degrade;
- PFAS would accumulate and build up in animals and humans exposed to PFAS;
- PFAS are potential or confirmed carcinogens; and
- continued manufacture and use of PFAS would inevitably result in continued and increased levels of PFAS getting into the environment and into people’s bodies.
PFAS exposure has been linked to illnesses such as liver damage, pregnancy issues, increased cancer rates, thyroid disease, and more.
“We are committed to ensuring that the companies responsible for unleashing PFAS on our state will stand up to their legal obligations and responsibilities,” Nessel said. “Their reprehensible conduct demands Gov. Whitmer and I take every legal and regulatory action necessary to protect the people and natural resources of our state.”
Officials say this lawsuit marks the first legal move by the State of Michigan against PFAS manufacturers.
In the Kalamazoo area, Parchment residents are affected by PFAS exposure, which also resulted in a lawsuit of its own against 3M.
