“PFAS are linked to cancer, weakened immune systems, and can even harm the ability to bear children,” Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown said. “It is unacceptable for any company to knowingly contaminate our drinking water with these toxins, putting Marylanders at risk of severe health conditions.”
The state of Maryland has filed a lawsuit against the manufacturer of Gore-Tex, claiming that W.L. Gore & Associates made a deliberate decision to use “forever chemicals” in its products.
According to The Associated Press, the complaint was filed last week in federal court.
Attorneys for the state say that W.L. Gore & Associates operates more than a dozen facilities across northeastern Maryland. These facilities allegedly pollute the air and water around them with per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, purportedly to the detriment of local communities.
The lawsuit, adds The Associated Press, could bolster other claims against the company.
Some Cecil County residents have, for instance, filed a class-action lawsuit against W.L. Gore, demanding that the company pay for medical bills, new water filtration systems, and an assortment of other damages.
“PFAS are linked to cancer, weakened immune systems, and can even harm the ability to bear children,” Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown said. “It is unacceptable for any company to knowingly contaminate our drinking water with these toxins, putting Marylanders at risk of severe health conditions.”
Donna Leinwand Leger, a spokesperson for W.L. Gore, said that the company is “surprised by the Maryland Attorney General’s decision to initiate legal action, particularly in light of our proactive and intensive engagement with state regulators over the past two years.”
“We have been working with Maryland, employing the most current, reliable science and technology to assess the potential impact of our operations and guide our ongoing, collaborative efforts to protect the environment,” W.L. Gore said in a statement.
The company, adds The Associated Press, has taken some steps to mitigate environmental contamination. In 2014, it ceased use of perfluorooctanoic acid in the production of its materials.
And, in the past two years, W.L. Gore has hired an environmental consulting firm to conduct periodic testing in the area and to provide bottled water and water filtration systems to residents living in proximity to some of its Maryland facilities.
However, testing of drinking water at homes near certain Gore sites indicated potentially dangerous concentrations of “forever chemicals.”
Philip Federico, an attorney representing the plaintiffs in the Cecil County class action, said that W.L. Gore’s efforts are “too little, too late.”
“It’s typical corporate environmental contamination,” he said. “They’re in no hurry to fix the problem.”
“While we appreciate Gore’s limited investigation to ascertain the extent of PFAS contamination around its facilities, much more needs to be done to protect the community and the health of residents,” Maryland Department of the Environment Secretary Serena McIlwain said. “We must remove these forever chemicals from our natural resources urgently, and we expect responsible parties to pay for this remediation.”
Sources
Maryland sues maker of Gore-Tex over pollution from toxic ‘forever chemicals’
Maryland sues W.L. Gore over decades of forever chemicals contamination
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