Foam Companies Get Sued. Cover-Ups and Contaminants

In what seems like a bitter contradiction, the very companies that provide foam to eradicate blazes during wildfires are actually destroying the environment, two recent lawsuits claim.

Attorneys general in Oregon and Washington announced that they’re suing 21 manufacturers of firefighting foam. That’s a big suit, and involves some major names.

The two lawsuits, filed in Multnomah County Circuit Court and King County Superior  Court, claim that the companies are legally responsible for polluting drinking water, fish and wildlife habitat through a chemical with a dangerous contaminant known as PFAs, which are poisonous chemicals used in firefighting foam. Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum says PFAs have been found in multiple counties across Oregon, and the companies are heavy hitters such as 3M and DuPont that are profiting and directly responsible.

Meanwhile, Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson says 3M executives have known about the damage for years that the firefighting foam causes such damage to wilderness and wildlife and, that top execs actively tried to cover up the information.Both attorneys general seek remediation for health and environmental harm by paying for removal of PFAs contamination from soil and other natural resources.

In some good news, Oregon has received a federal grant of $18. 9 million to test drinking water for contaminants. The sad question is, is it too late?  We at CRT certainly hope not.