Read the full article by Madeleine O’Neill (Maryland Daily Record)
“Prince George’s County is suing a group of chemical companies for their handling of PFAS — also known as ‘forever chemicals’ — that have been identified in Maryland’s waterways.
PFAS — per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances — are found in many products, from clothing and furniture to food packaging and fire suppressants. The chemicals break down incredibly slowly, contaminate soil and drinking water, and can build up in wildlife and humans.
In Prince George’s County, PFAS have been found in ‘alarming concentrations’ in bodies of water, including recently in the tissue of fish taken from Piscataway Creek.
The new lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in Maryland last week, seeks to hold accountable the chemical companies that made products containing PFAS and, the complaint alleges, covered up evidence of the threat they posed to humans and the environment.
The complaint names 3M, DuPont and more than 20 other companies as defendants and accuses them of failing to warn the public that their products could be harmful.
The lawsuit requests damages and declaratory judgment that would require the defendants to pay abatement costs.”…