The city of Fort Worth, Texas, has filed a lawsuit against per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) manufacturers 3M and DuPont, as well as the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) for PFAS contamination in the city’s drinking water.
According to a Newsweek article, the lawsuit claims that the manufacturers were aware of the harmful impacts of PFAS and sold aqueous film-forming foam, which is often used for firefighting. The foam was used at Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Forth Worth and Fort Worth-based Air Force Plant 4 where it allegedly contaminated the city’s water supply.
The city is suing the current DOD administration for contamination despite the military allegedly using the products since the 1970s.
Similar lawsuits have been filed with the intention of holding PFAS manufacturers accountable for pollution.
“The city of Forth Worth has filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Defense and multiple manufacturers of PFAS chemicals to hold them accountable for contaminating Forth Worth’s drinking water sources,” said a Forth Worth spokesperson in a statement submitted to Newsweek. “These ‘forever chemicals' have been linked to serious health risks.”
The spokesperson stated to Newsweek that the city is seeking $400 million in damages to hold polluters responsible for cleanup, rather than pursuing a national settlement for “inadequate compensation.”
