PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — A trial is underway in federal court in Camden as the state of New Jersey is suing DuPont and Chemours over alleged PFAS contamination, linked to manufacturing operations at the Chambers Works Facility in Pennsville, Salem County.
The state alleges the company polluted the environment through the production of non-stick coatings and other products containing harmful per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, commonly known as "forever chemicals." The lawsuit seeks to require the companies to pay for the remediation of the contamination.
The state alleges the company polluted the environment through the production of non-stick coatings and other products containing harmful per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, commonly known as “forever chemicals. The lawsuit seeks to require the companies to pay for the remediation of the contamination.
Maya van Rossum, the Delaware Riverkeeper, said the chemicals produced at these facilities have infiltrated just about every aspect of our lives, with many negative health effects on people and wildlife. She applauded the state for fighting for its residents in this first-of-its-kind trial.
“We at the Delaware Riverkeeper Network are hoping that a successful outcome really will result in industries across the nation taking responsibility for the cleanup of their PFAS contamination,” she said.
Last week, 3M entered a $450 million settlement with the state of New Jersey to avoid trial in a separate PFAS case.
Van Rossym said the companies should be focused on cleaning up their messes rather than spending money on lawyers to fight the allegations.
“DuPont should be investing those resources in identifying, creating, and implementing the many different kinds of clean-up operations that will be necessary to fully and fairly address the contamination that they’ve inflicted on our communities and environment,” she said.
This case dates back several years, and the companies have long maintained that the alleged contamination happened before regulations were in place, and they have complied with the law since. They also claim some of the production was for government contracts, which shields them from liability.
The case is expected to take at least a couple of weeks to reach a conclusion.