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AUGUSTA, Maine — Maine filed lawsuits against 3M and DuPont de Nemours, Inc. on Wednesday, with the attorney general saying the companies introduced so-called forever chemicals “in pursuit of profit for shareholders.”
The long-planned move by Attorney General Aaron Frey follows a patchwork of lawsuits here and in other states aimed at the makers of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, a class of chemicals linked to cancer and other health problems. PFAS are increasingly being found in consumer products, agricultural land and water in Maine and across the country.
Frey’s office filed two separate lawsuits in a Portland state court seeking to recover all costs of Maine’s response to the emerging public health crisis. It has included the nation’s first ban on spreading contaminated sludge on farmland and the world’s first ban on PFAS in most products, the latter of which will take full effect in 2030.
The complex lawsuits mirror others across the country by saying the companies knew the chemicals were toxic decades ago but continued to sell products containing them, leaving states to deal with the consequences. Gov. Janet Mills also voiced support for the action.
“The defendant manufacturers have willfully introduced toxic chemicals into Maine’s environment in pursuit of profit for shareholders,” Frey said in a statement.
In a response to the lawsuit, DuPont pointed to the aftermath of a complex merger with Dow that finished in 2017. It resulted in the brand being split into another company, which has led its leaders to say it is not responsible for decades-old claims at this point.
“DuPont de Nemours has never manufactured PFOA, PFOS or firefighting foam,” the company said in a statement. While we don’t comment on litigation matters, we believe these complaints are without merit, and we look forward to vigorously defending our record of safety, health and environmental stewardship.”
3M spokespeople did not respond to a request for comment, but it reacted to a similar California lawsuit in November by telling Reuters that the company has “acted responsibly.”
