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North Carolina's attorney general filed lawsuits against 14 manufacturers of a fire suppressant with "dangerous" and "harmful" chemicals, according to a news release issued Thursday. DuPont, 3M and Corteva were among those named in the suit that alleges the companies created a design defect, did not warn their customers and shielded their profits by fraudulently transferring corporate assets, the Associated Press reported.
Aqueous Film Forming Foam is a fire suppressant used extensively by firefighters, military members and other first responders, according to the AP. Attorney General Josh Stein asks that the manufacturers be ordered to fund investigations aimed at determining the extent of damage caused by the suppressant, clean up the damage, replace wells and water treatment systems, keep an eye on air quality and restore any natural resources that were damaged.
"These companies made and sold firefighting foam with dangerous forever chemicals to our firefighters, military service members, and first responders, long after they knew or should have known how harmful this foam was," Stein said in the news release.
"As a result, forever chemicals have seeped into our soil and groundwater and put people's health at risk—all so these chemical companies could line their pockets. It's wrong."
For more reporting from the Associated Press, see below.
Representatives for the three companies identified in the news release did not immediately respond to emails from the AP seeking comment Thursday.
The legal action points specifically to two sites in Charlotte, a county airport and a U.S. Air Force base.
AFFF is designed to be mixed with water and sprayed liberally, which leads to contamination of soil, groundwater and natural resources, Stein said. In the lawsuits, the attorney general alleges that AFFF manufacturers knew or should have known about the toxic nature of PFAS chemicals and how they harmed people, wildlife, and the environment, but continued to manufacture, market, and sell their products in North Carolina and elsewhere while concealing the risks.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency described PFAS on its website as widely used, long-lasting chemicals, components of which break down very slowly over time. Because of their use and persistence in the environment, PFAS are found in human and animal blood, and in low levels in a variety of food products and in the environment, the EPA says.
At Charlotte-Douglas International Airport, tests at the Air National Guard Base found PFAS in the groundwater at levels thousands of times in excess of the EPA's health advisory level, the news release said. Also, testing at the Charlotte Police and Fire Training Academy found PFAS compounds at 17 different on-site groundwater wells with levels up to 1,800 times beyond EPA's level.
"Every day, we learn more about this toxic class of chemicals," said Tom Brewer, president of Charlotte International Association of Fire Fighters Local 660, in the news release. "The research and data are clear—these deadly chemicals must be removed from the firefighters' environment."
Testing at Seymour-Johnson Air Force Base in eastern North Carolina showed PFAS concentrations in the groundwater at levels thousands of times beyond EPA's health advisory level. At Stanly County Airport, which also has an Air National Guard Base, testing showed excessive PFAS in the soil, sediment, and groundwater, the news release said.
Health problems associated with PFAS include increased risks of cancer, high blood pressure, damage to immune systems, and harm to fetal development.
About the writer
Zoe Strozewski is a Newsweek reporter based in New Jersey. Her focus is reporting on U.S. and global politics. Zoe ... Read more