Maryland Sues Gore-Tex for Polluting State’s Waters With PFAS

By Cristen Hemingway Jaynes | EcoWatch | April 4, 2025

Read the full article by Cristen Hemingway Jaynes (EcoWatch)

"The State of Maryland is suing the makers of Gore-Tex waterproof clothing for polluting the drinking water of residents living around the company’s rural Maryland facilities with toxic per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) “forever chemicals.”

The WL Gore and Associates facilities, located roughly 90 miles from Baltimore, have been polluting residents’ water with PFAS levels as high as 700 times the federal limit, reported The Guardian.

“At the same time that Gore was profiting from the products it manufactured in Maryland, it knew for decades that PFOA was toxic and posed significant risks to human health and the environment and failed to warn the State or the communities living around its facilities of the dangers posed by its PFAS. Instead, Gore concealed those dangers to protect its corporate image and limit its liability,” the state’s complaint alleges."

Topics:

• ChemicalsPFAS
• ChemicalsPolymer
• ProductsClothing
• ProductsOutdoor gear
• ProductsTextiles
• Environment
• Affected community
• Health
• PFAS Uses