Read the full article from France 24 News.
“Hundreds of people are demanding almost 30 million euros ($35 million) in total in potential damages in the latest in a series of legal cases worldwide centring on the harm caused by per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).
‘Those responsible must take responsibility. A company can’t pollute and not care, take the profits and leave; it’s not possible,’ Petra Praet, one of the plaintiffs, told AFP upon arriving at the hearing in Antwerp.
Abnormal levels of groundwater and soil pollution were detected near a 3M site in Zwijndrecht, outside the port city, in 2021.
A blood-sampling campaign later confirmed that hundreds of people living nearby had been exposed to very high concentrations of perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS), a member of the PFAS family used as a waterproofing agent.”…