Honeywell Hit With Class Action Over N.Y. Groundwater Contamination

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Honeywell International Inc. (f/k/a Allied-Signal Inc.) and Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics Corp. have been hit with a class action lawsuit filed by residents of Hoosick Falls, N.Y., who allege the companies are responsible for contaminating their groundwater.

According to the water contamination class action lawsuit, Saint-Gobain is the world’s leading producer of high-performance polymer products, and Honeywell is a global company that serves the specialty chemicals industry.

“Residents of Hoosick Falls, New York receive their drinking water from groundwater,” the groundwater contamination class action lawsuit alleges. “Although unknown to them, for years they have been drinking water laced with a dangerous chemical called perfluorooctanoic acid, commonly referred to as PFOA. When consumed, PFOA can cause numerous and serious health issues. When PFOA is in the drinking water, it results in devaluation of property.”

According to the groundwater contamination class action lawsuit, the State of New York identified the defendants as two of the parties responsible for the groundwater contamination in Hoosick Falls. The state’s Department of Health identified a factory owned by Saint-Gobain as the source of the PFOA. The facility was previously used by the Honeywell defendants. Until 2004, the factory reportedly was used to manufacture water and stain resistant fabric that contained PFOA.

During the manufacturing process, excess PFOA was included in runoff that went down sink and floor drains, resulting “in the discharge of PFOA into the soil and, in turn, into the aquifer,” according to the class action lawsuit.

On Jan. 27, 2016, Governor Andrew Cuomo reportedly declared Hoosick Falls a Superfund site due to the PFOA contamination in the water supply.

“The presence of PFOA in the municipal water supply and the local aquifer, coupled with the State’s labeling the town as a Superfund site, has adversely impacted property values in the Village,” the class action lawsuit says. “The PFOA contamination has also adversely impacted individuals’ ability to use and enjoy their home, impacted businesses and presented other injuries that require compensation,” the plaintiffs continue.

PFOA is associated with a number of health risks even when the chemical is ingested at very low levels, the Hoosick Falls groundwater contamination class action lawsuit alleges. Exposure to PFOA is linked to various types of cancer, high cholesterol, ulcerative colitis, and pregnancy-induced hypertension.

The plaintiffs have filed the Hoosick Falls groundwater contamination class action lawsuit on behalf of a subclass of Hoosick Falls property owners who receive their drinking water from the municipal water supply and a subclass of property owners who obtain their drinking water from a privately owned well.

The class action lawsuit asserts claims of negligence, private nuisance, trespass and strict liability for abnormally dangerous activity. The plaintiffs seek monetary damages for the costs of remediating their property, compensation for the lost value of their homes, compensation for the loss of enjoyment of their homes, and compensation for the diminished quality of life allegedly caused by the defendants’ conduct.

The plaintiffs are represented by Ellen Relkin, Robin L. Greenwald and James J. Bilsborrow of Weitz & Luxenberg PC.

The Hoosick Falls Groundwater Contamination Class Action Lawsuit is Michelle Baker, et al. v. Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics Corp., et al., Case No. 1:16-cv-00220, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York.