Top Class Actions’s website and social media posts use affiliate links. If you make a purchase using such links, we may receive a commission, but it will not result in any additional charges to you. Please review our Affiliate Link Disclosure for more information.
Hoosick Falls water pollution Overview:
- Who: Chemical company DuPont claimed a $65 million settlement between three other companies and residents of Hoosick Falls, New York, would negatively affect DuPont’s own negotiations with the residents.
- Why: the residents had sued DuPont and three other chemical companies over perfluorooctanoic acid contamination of their drinking water.
- Where: Hoosick Falls is a village in upstate New York, east of Albany and just west of the Vermont border.
A chemical company facing a class action lawsuit claiming it contaminated drinking water in New York has raised “serious concerns” about a $65 million settlement deal that three other companies have made with plaintiffs, but a federal judge did not find the company’s argument persuasive.
Last week, the plaintiffs — hundreds of Hoosick Falls residents — told a New York federal judge they’d reached a deal with Saint-Gobain, 3M and Honeywell over claims the companies were responsible for perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) contamination of their drinking water, Law360 reports.
However DuPont, another defendant in the lawsuit, on Tuesday asked a judge to review the settlement, saying the settlement would affect its future negotiations with the plaintiffs.
On Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Lawrence E. Kahn rejected the request.
The plaintiffs say a facility in the town used a foam that contained PFOA from 1967 to 2003.
They say the chemical went into the air and groundwater, causing elevated levels of PFOA in residents’ blood.
Defendants Honeywell and Saint-Gobain are the previous and current owners of the plant, and defendants 3M and E.I. DuPont de Nemours & Co. are linked to the production of Teflon products at the plant, which leached the harmful chemicals.
The plaintiffs allege 3M and DuPont knew about the health risks of PFOA, but did not advise nearby residents.
Polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and PFOA are now commonly known as “forever chemicals.”
These forever chemicals — which can take centuries or even millennia to break down naturally — have been associated with health issues such as kidney and testicular cancer, thyroid disease, liver damage, developmental toxicity, ulcerative colitis, high cholesterol, pregnancy-induced preeclampsia and hypertension, and immune dysfunction.
They were once used to produce a number of household items with non-stick properties, like Teflon pan and water-repellent clothing, cosmetics, fire-fighting foam, and even dental floss.
DuPont had opposed the fact that the proposed settlement with the New York residents did not make public how much each company was paying of the $65 million lot.
It also claimed the deal included side agreements that weren’t made public, and challenged the fact that the current settlement would be adjusted up if any future deals were made with municipalities with more favorable terms.
DuPont recently reached a collective settlement over forever chemicals in Delaware.
DuPont, Corteva, and the Chemours Co. agreed to collectively pay $50 million to settle claims they used toxic substances in Delaware that then got released throughout the state, including its waterways.
Have you heard of forever chemicals? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!
The plaintiffs are represented by James J. Bilsborrow of Seeger Weiss LLP, Robin L. Greenwald of Weitz & Luxenberg PC, Stephen Schwarz and Hadley L. Matarazzo of Faraci Lange LLP and Gerald Williams of Williams Cedar LLC.
The Hoosick Falls Forever Chemicals Class Action Lawsuit is Michelle Baker et al. v. Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics Corp. et al., Case No. 1:16- cv-00917, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York.
Don’t Miss Out!
Check out our list of Class Action Lawsuits and Class Action Settlements you may qualify to join!
Read About More Class Action Lawsuits & Class Action Settlements:
3 thoughts onDuPont Challenges $65M Settlement in NY Drinking Water Contamination Case
poppachief79@gmail.com
Add me
Add me please
Add me please