DELAWARE - Delaware’s Attorney General Kathleen Jennings has announced a lawsuit filed against numerous chemical company for allegedly contaminating the First State’s natural resources.
The lawsuit claims that the companies designed, manufactured, marketed, distributed, supplied, and/or sold products containing per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) that have contaminated Delaware waterways and soils. PFAS were used in firefighting foam used primarily at airports and military bases, according to the suit.
That firefighting foam has long been utilized at the New Castle County Airport and the Dover Air Force Base, impacting the nearby groundwater and other resources, according to the DOJ.
Compounds found in PFAS are toxic and reportedly resist natural degradation, leading to the nickname “forever chemicals,” the Department of Justice says. PFAS can accumulate in living tissue and have been linked to cancer, thyroid disruption, ulcerative colitis, and other illnesses.
The State’s suit seeks damages including costs to restore the affected natural resources as well as funding for Delaware health programs.
The companies listed in the lawsuit are 3M Company, Tyco Fire Products LP, Chemguard Inc, Buckeye Fire Equipment Company, Arkema, Inc., BASF Corp, Clariant Corp, Archroma US Inc, Dynax Corp, AGC Chemicals Americas, Inc, Daikin America, Inc, Chemdesign Products, Inc, Chemicals, Inc., and Deepwater Chemicals, Inc.
Jenning’s Office advises Delawareans who drink from private wells to check their water annually. More information on how can be found here.
WBOC’s Kristina DeRobertis will have more on this story tonight, October 26.
