
Attorney General Maura Healey
HYANNIS – Attorney General Maura Healey announced a lawsuit against 13 manufacturers of firefighting foam containing PFAS.
Healey made the announcement on Wednesday, May 25 and said PFAS have posed immense public health risks, including exposing firefighters to the ‘forever chemicals.’
The lawsuit will seek payments for contaminated water supplies. Healey said the manufacturers overlooked the negative impacts of the hazardous materials.
The attorney general noted that 86 communities in Massachusetts have had water systems with serious levels of PFAS contamination, including Cape Cod.
Healey said chemicals have affected the state’s coastal regions.
“Contamination from PFAS has also ended up in our precious coastal zones; think about Cape Cod, Cape Ann, and the Elizabeth Islands, putting our shellfish, our marine life, and our state’s diverse wildlife at risk,” she said.
Healey cited the costs associated with PFAS cleanup efforts and said the lawsuit will also hold two companies accountable who shielded assets that could have been used to offset the harm caused by the chemicals.
State Senator Julian Cyr (D-Truro) expressed his support of the lawsuit and spoke on potential positive outcomes for the state.
“This lawsuit is really going to begin to garner the true resources that we need to address the issue and have those responsible for these effects paying for it,” Cyr said.
By Brian Engles, CapeCod.com NewsCenter