New York Attorney General Letitia James has filed a lawsuit that could have huge implications in Corporate America and for consumers all across the country.
James is suing big chemical and products makers, including 3M Co., EIDP Inc., DuPont de Nemours Inc., Corteva Inc. and The Chemours Co., alleging that they knew their products, which are found in everyday consumer items, were toxic for decades.
The proper name for those chemicals is per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, but they’re called “forever chemicals” because of their ability to remain in the human body, or in soil or bodies of water, in perpetuity. PFAS are engineered to resist heat, water and stains, and because of that, they can be found in everything from flame-retardant gear worn by firefighters to non-stick cookware, toys, furniture, carpet and flooring.
The problem is that PFAS don’t decompose over time. Instead, they make their way into the food chain via animals and plants. It’s nearly impossible to eliminate them from the human body because they accumulate in tissue and organs faster than we can process them. Worse, they’re associated with health problems ranging from increased risk of cancer to hormone disruption to issues in the reproductive system and in early child development.
James’ 74-page lawsuit, filed on Thursday, alleges that the chemical manufacturers knew about those dangers far earlier than the general public and hid them while continuing to sell products that were not only toxic but also served to make the entire environment unsafe. 3M, the suit alleges, described the chemicals as “toxic” in a 1963 report that also claimed PFAS were “stable in the environment” and “completely resistant to biological attack.” By the 1970s and ’80s, the company had internally discussed absorption of the chemicals into employees’ blood and into water supplies, the potential for birth defects in women employees, cancer risks and other risks to people and the environment.
DuPont and 3M scientists met as far back as 1975 about the risks, the suit claims. None of the named companies has made a statement about the lawsuit.
The result is that New York State consumers were harmed, and the state has spent millions on new regulations and initiatives to monitor the chemicals.
“Unbeknownst to the public and consumers, these products released PFAS into their homes and into the environment for decades, continuing to the present day in some cases,” it says. “These threats to the health of New Yorkers and to the environment have necessitated a wide-ranging legislative, regulatory, and enforcement response by the State.
Corporate accountability is a big focus for James, who in 2019 became New York’s first Black person and first woman attorney general. Her office has sued companies ranging from crypto firms Coinbase and Gemini, online retail giant Amazon, and even the nonprofit National Rifle Association. Most famously, she secured a civil judgment against the Trump Organization in 2024.