Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin on Monday filed a lawsuit against more than 30 chemical companies he claims are responsible for spreading throughout the state so-called forever chemicals that are linked to serious health problems.
The lawsuit, filed in Washington County Circuit Court, accuses chemical giants including 3M, DuPont, Corteva and Chemours of contaminating the state’s natural resources including drinking water and soil with perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS.
Most PFAS, which are widely used in industry and consumer products, do not break down. Rather these chemicals linger in the environment and are found in the blood of people and animals across the world. Research has suggested PFAS may weaken immune responses, affect the liver and increase risks for certain types of cancer, according to the U.S. Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry.
“PFAS present significant threats to Arkansans and our natural resources,” said Griffin in a news release. “They are toxic at extremely low levels. The defendants bear ultimate responsibility for the presence of PFAS in our state, which have caused and will continue to cause injury to property owned and maintained by the state.”
The lawsuit comes after Chemours, DuPont and Corteva agreed to pay more than $1 billion on Friday to settle claims that PFAS contaminated public drinking water across the U.S. The companies in statements have denied the allegations in the underlying litigation.
Chemical companies are facing legal challenges from hundreds of communities over PFAS. Other attorneys general from states including Rhode Island and Maryland have recently filed suits.