ATTORNEY GENERAL RAOUL FILES LAWSUIT AGAINST MULTIPLE MANUFACTURERS OVER
CONTAMINATION BY TOXIC “FOREVER CHEMICALS”
Lawsuit Against 14 Manufacturers is Raoul’s Latest
Lawsuit Over Forever Chemicals
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[February 02, 2023]
Chicago – Attorney General Kwame Raoul today filed a
lawsuit against multiple companies that manufacture per- and
polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) – also known as “forever chemicals” –
and PFAS-containing products sold in the state of Illinois as consumer
goods and for use in industrial processes. This is Raoul’s latest
lawsuit over the impact of forever chemicals in Illinois, following most
recent March 2022 lawsuit alleging 3M’s improper handling of PFAS
resulted in ongoing contamination at and around its facility in Cordova,
Illinois.
Raoul’s lawsuit was filed in Cook County Circuit Court alleging the PFAS
manufacturers have known for decades that PFAS are toxic and pose
substantial health and environmental risks, yet continue to actively
promote the chemicals as safe to manufacture and use. The lawsuit also
alleges PFAS manufacturers distort scientific evidence concerning
potential harms associated with PFAS, and that PFAS manufacturers have
caused widespread contamination and injuries to Illinois’ natural
resources.
“For decades, manufacturers have been aware of the dangers of PFAS yet
still promote the chemicals as being safe to use. As a result, PFAS have
contaminated our water supplies across Illinois,” Raoul said. “The
manufacturers of forever chemicals must be held accountable for the
widespread contamination to our natural resources. This lawsuit is an
important step toward accountability and protecting the surrounding
environment and public health.”
The Attorney General’s latest lawsuit identifies the following
additional manufacturers:
Dyneon, L.L.C.
Arkema, Inc.
AGC Chemicals Americas, Inc.
BASF Corporation
Clariant Corporation
Bayer Corporation
The Chemours Company
The Chemours Company FC, LLC
Corteva, Inc.
DowDuPont Inc.
DuPont De Nemours Inc.
E. I. Du Pont De Nemours and Company
Daikin America, Inc.
Solvay Specialty Polymers, USA, LLC
While these manufacturing companies are headquartered out of state, all
conduct business in Illinois and have allegedly contaminated Illinois’
environment and natural resources.
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The complaint builds on the Illinois Environmental Protection
Agency’s (IEPA) efforts to sample drinking water supplies throughout
Illinois to identify those affected by PFAS contamination. The
Illinois EPA sampled finished water community water supplies across
Illinois and detected PFAS in 152 of those community water supplies.
More specifically, the investigation detected levels of PFAS that
were greater than or equal to Illinois EPA’s Health Advisory Levels
at 70 entry points. The Attorney General’s lawsuit alleges PFAS have
also contaminated groundwater and surface water not used for
drinking water across the state.
“Through Illinois EPA’s statewide investigation into the prevalence
of PFAS contamination in our state’s drinking water, it is clear
that PFAS contamination can be found in communities throughout
Illinois, as a result of the continued use and manufacturing of
these chemicals,” said Illinois EPA Director John J. Kim. “These
companies must be held responsible for their actions that have
resulted in widespread contamination of our environment. Illinois
EPA will continue to work closely with the Attorney General’s office
to provide necessary resources and technical support to address PFAS
contamination identified in Illinois.”
PFAS are human-made, synthetic chemicals that do not exist naturally
in the environment. PFAS are highly toxic to humans and animals, and
they are extremely resistant to degradation in the environment,
which is why PFAS are known as “forever chemicals.” PFAS
contaminants may be linked to serious adverse health effects in
humans and animals, including increased serum cholesterol, immune
dysregulation, pregnancy-induced hypertension, and kidney and
testicular cancers. Exposure to certain types of PFAS is also
associated with low birth weight in babies, suppressed immune system
response, dyslipidemia, impaired kidney function and delayed onset
of menstruation.
Raoul’s lawsuit seeks to recover Illinois’ costs and damages from
the contamination. More specifically, it seeks to recover natural
resource damages and other monetary damages necessary for state
officials to continue identifying, monitoring and remediating PFAS
contamination of Illinois’ environment, as well as restoration of
natural resources. Monetary damages could also be used to further
address PFAS contamination and restoration of natural resources
throughout the state.
Division Chief Matthew Dunn, Bureau Chief Stephen Sylvester,
Supervising Attorney Ellen O’Laughlin and Senior Assistant Attorney
General Karen Howard are handling the case for Raoul’s Environmental
Bureau. In addition, attorneys representing DiCello Levitt LLC,
Keating Muething & Klekamp PLL, and Fields, Han & Cunniff, PLLC will
co-prosecute the case as special assistant attorneys general. |