3M, DowDuPont, Chemours Must Face PFAS Class Action

Major chemical manufacturers must face claims in Ohio federal court that their production of flourinated chemicals have exposed Americans nationwide to a suite of health risks.

3M Co., DowDuPont, Chemours, Solvay, Daiken America, and AGC Chemicals, couldn’t convince the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio to dismiss the putative class action by ex-firefighter Kevin Hardwick.

Hardwick, who worked with PFAS-laden firefighting foam, wants to represent a class of U.S. residents who have detectable levels of the chemicals in their blood and who have suffered from a PFAS-related health problem.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances have been tied to cancer, fertility and reproductive issues, liver damage, delayed childhood development, and immune disorders.

Hardwick claims that the manufacturers have developed, marketed, and distributed PFAS projects in a manner than has led to the toxic accumulation of the chemicals in the bodies of himself and members of the public. He wants equitable relief in the form of a panel of scientists that would study the effects of PFAS within the human body and for medical monitoring.

The case is Hardwick v. 3M Co., S.D. Ohio, No. 2:18-cv-01185, 9/30/19.