New York|New York Sues Companies Over ‘Forever Chemicals’

The New York attorney general on Thursday sued several chemical and manufacturing giants, including 3M and DuPont, accusing them of continuing to expose consumers to products containing chemicals linked to health problems and environmental damage, long after the companies knew of their danger.

“Big companies like 3M and DuPont knowingly sold toxic products that threatened New Yorkers’ health and polluted our environment for decades,” Attorney General Letitia James said in a statement on Thursday. “It’s time for them to pay for the damage they caused.”

The chemicals, called PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, have been used in items like nonstick cookware, makeup, dental floss, food packaging and possibly leggings. Though the chemicals were originally hailed as revolutionary for their ability to repel water and oil, they have since been associated with an increased risk of cancer, metabolic disorders, decreased fertility in women and developmental delays in children, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.

Often called “forever chemicals,” PFAS do not degrade and instead accumulate in the environment, as well as the body. Nearly everyone in the United States has been exposed to PFAS and has them in their blood, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The chemicals have been detected in wildlife, too.

“There’s a very well-documented body of science that these chemicals cause serious health harm,” said Judith Enck, the president of the advocacy group Beyond Plastics and a former E.P.A. official. “This is a blockbuster legal action that should hold these companies accountable for the immense harm caused by their products.”

The lawsuit claims that products manufactured by 3M, DuPont, Chemours and Corteva violated New Yorkers’ rights to clean air and water, as well as consumer protection laws. The companies also engaged in persistent fraud, the lawsuit claimed, by failing to warn New Yorkers of the health and environmental risks of their products.