NY Attorney General sues chemical firms over PFAS pollution

New York Attorney General Letitia James filed a lawsuit against major chemical manufacturers 3M, DuPont de Nemours, Chemours and Corteva. The complaint alleges the companies knowingly sold per‑ and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) for use in consumer products such as carpets, stain‑repellent sprays, food‑packaging coatings, cosmetics and personal‑care items, despite knowing the chemicals are toxic. The filing states: “Long after they knew their PFAS were toxic, defendants manufactured and sold these compounds for use in consumer products … that defendants knew would be sold, used, and disposed of in New York, thereby exposing people to PFAS and releasing PFAS into New York’s environment.”

The suit seeks a court order to stop the sale of PFAS‑containing products without warning labels and to hold the companies liable for environmental damage and public‑health impacts, including cancer and birth defects. James said, “Big companies like 3M and DuPont knowingly sold toxic products that threatened New Yorkers’ health and polluted our environment for decades. It’s time for them to pay for the damage they caused.”