Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced a groundbreaking new lawsuit against the largest manufacturers of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (“PFAS”) chemical products, 3M and DuPont, for misrepresentations and key omissions they made in advertising the safety of brand names such as Teflon, Stainmaster, and Scotchgard.
PFAS are known as “forever chemicals” because they are persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic. Exposure in humans may be associated with diseases such as cancer and thyroid disease, and PFAS contamination accumulates in animals, plants, drinking water, and human blood over time. For decades, 3M and DuPont knew about the dangers of these chemicals but continued to market their beneficial use in ordinary household products. According to the filing, “Defendants marketed products containing harmful PFAS chemicals for over 70 years and were aware of the harmful effects of PFAS chemicals for over 50 years. Despite this knowledge, Defendants continued to market PFAS products and chemicals in Texas and elsewhere as safe for consumer use, misrepresent their environmental and biological risks, and conceal risks of harm from the public.”
“These companies knew for decades that PFAS chemicals could cause serious harm to human health yet continued to advertise them as safe for household use around families and children,” said Attorney General Paxton. “Texas is taking action to penalize these companies and hold them accountable for deceiving Texans into buying consumer products without vital information.”
Attorney General Paxton has been at the forefront of holding companies responsible for exposing people to dangerous “forever chemicals.” Texas previously sued the manufacturers of a product containing PFAS called Aqueous Film Forming Foam (AFFF) for its harmful effect on Texas lands and waters. Today’s lawsuit marks a new stage in PFAS litigation.
The Lanier Law Firm and Kelley Drye & Warren LLP are serving as outside counsel.
To read the filing, click here.