Eau Claire Sues PFAS Manufacturers
Lawsuit demands makers of 'forever' chemicals pay for cleanup of city wells and groundwater.
The City of Eau Claire filed a lawsuit Monday against more than 30 manufacturers of products containing harmful “forever chemicals,” stating in a press release that the companies, not the public, should pay to clean up the contamination the chemicals have caused to public drinking water.
In a news release, city officials said that the chemicals, known as PFAS, have been found in the city’s wells and groundwater, requiring the city to shut down half of its wells and begin planning for substantial improvements to its water treatment systems. The release states that the city has already spent $1 million responding to PFAS contamination and estimates the costs could rise above $20 million.
“The PFAS manufacturers, not the public, should be responsible for these costs,” the release states. “These companies knew long ago that PFAS chemicals were harmful yet failed to warn the public or remove the product from the market, all the while profiting greatly from its continued sale.”
PFAS are a family of manmade chemical compounds that have been connected to health defects such as cancer. They’ve been used for years in products such as firefighting foam, fast food wrappers and household goods such as nonstick pans. The compounds are nicknamed forever chemicals because they don’t easily break down in the environment or the body.
The chemicals have been found in water supplies across Wisconsin.
Lawsuits against PFAS manufacturers have been filed across the country. Last week, residents of the Oneida County town of Stella filed a lawsuit because of extreme levels of PFAS contamination that have been found in residents’ private wells. A class action lawsuit against the manufacturer 3M is currently in settlement discussions in a South Carolina federal court.
“The lawsuit filed by the City is a further step to protect the City’s rights and ensure all those responsible for the PFAS contamination at the City Well Fields are held accountable for the clean-up and the damages they have caused,” the Eau Claire release states.
State lawmakers are in the process of drafting legislation aimed at providing funding through the Department of Natural Resources to residents and municipalities to test and treat PFAS contamination.
Eau Claire files lawsuit against PFAS manufacturers was originally published by the Wisconsin Examiner.
More about the PFAS Problem
- Legislators Agree on Opioid Plan, Still Withhold PFAS, Hospital Funds - Erik Gunn - May 8th, 2024
- Gov. Evers Again Calls Republican Lawmakers into Special Meeting to Urge Immediate Release of $140 Million to Fight PFAS Statewide, Respond to Hospital Closures in Western Wisconsin - Gov. Tony Evers - May 6th, 2024
- The State of Politics: Voters Worried About PFAS in Water - Steven Walters - Apr 22nd, 2024
- EPA Slaps Two PFAS Chemicals With Superfund Law Designation - Danielle Kaeding - Apr 19th, 2024
- DNR Responds To EPA’s Designation Of PFOA And PFOS As Hazardous Substances - Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources - Apr 19th, 2024
- Evers Won’t Rule Out Court Challenge to Force Release of PFAS Funds - Danielle Kaeding - Apr 16th, 2024
- Gov. Evers Vetoes PFAS Bill, Calls Special Meeting of Budget Committee - Baylor Spears - Apr 10th, 2024
- DNR, DHS Respond To EPA’s Announcement Of Maximum Contaminant Levels For PFAS In Drinking Water - Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources - Apr 10th, 2024
- GOP Leaders Urge Gov. Evers to Sign Divisive PFAS Bill - Baylor Spears - Apr 2nd, 2024
- UW-Madison to Open PFAS Center - Robert D'Andrea - Apr 1st, 2024
Read more about PFAS Problem here
Sue them for everything you can. Can’t believe they’d knowingly and willingly poisoned the entire water supply in the northern half of our state. They need to be criminally prosecuted.