In a recent development, a town in New Jersey is striving to halt the final approval of a proposed $393 million settlement. The settlement is between the state of New Jersey and the American arm of Solvay, a Belgian chemical firm, over alleged “forever chemical” contamination. The town argues that the state and its outside legal counsel have overlooked pertinent laws in their rush to reach a settlement. This information was disclosed in a recent article by Law360.
Further specifics about this case, including the identity of the town and the nature of the alleged contamination, remain unclear. However, what is apparent is that the sheer scale of the proposed settlement amount indicates the gravity of the environmental and public health concerns that are at stake.
“Forever chemicals”, officially known as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), are a group of man-made chemicals that are not naturally broken down in the environment or the human body. They have been widely used in various industries around the globe, including in items such as food packaging, non-stick cookware, and stain and water repellents.
This is not the first legal battle concerning PFAS. Various lawsuits have been levied across the United States against chemical firms, and in many cases, the companies have been obliged to pay significant damages.
The town’s pushback against the proposed settlement with Solvay suggests a heightened communal vigilance over corporate accountability as concerns about the impacts of PFAS on health and the environment continue to grow.