‘Forever chemicals’ were everywhere in 2023. Expect more litigation in 2024

By Clark Mindock | Reuters | December 28, 2023

Read the full article by Clark Mindock (Reuters)

"Lawsuits accusing major chemical companies of polluting U.S. drinking water with toxic PFAS chemicals led to over $11 billion in settlements in 2023, with experts predicting that new federal regulations and a growing awareness of the breadth of PFAS contamination in the U.S. will spur more litigation and settlements in the year ahead.

Dubbed "forever chemicals" because they do not easily break down in the human body or environment, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, are a group of roughly 15,000 known chemicals used in hundreds of consumer and commercial products including firefighting foams, non-stick pans, stain resistant clothing and cosmetics.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has taken several steps in recent years to tighten regulations for PFAS, calling the chemicals an “urgent public health and environmental issue.”