Dutch lawyers sue Chemours, DuPont over PFAS

By Alex Scott | c&en | September 7, 2023

Read the full article by Alex Scott (c&en)

"A Dutch law firm is suing Chemours and its former parent company, DuPont, on behalf of more than 2,700 residents in the Netherlands. It alleges that staff at the two companies knowingly discharged per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) that endangered public health. The lawsuit relates to PFAS discharged from a plant operated by the companies since 1962 in Dordrecht, the Netherlands.

The firms had received official permits to discharge PFAS from the Dordrecht plant into the environment. Lawyers filing the claim allege that the companies obtained the permits with misleading information that the discharge presented no risk to human health. The substances that have allegedly been unlawfully discharged are perfluorooctanoic acid and hexafluoropropylene oxide dimer acid, the latter of which is part of Chemours’s GenX technology. Both are or were used as processing aids in the manufacture of fluoropolymers such as Teflon coatings.

Chemours says it has yet to see the content of the filing. “What we can say is that we have actively participated in dialogue with the authorities over the years and have shared available information on the substances used in our production processes in accordance with regulations,” the company says."