For Immediate Release
Media Contact: Jackie Greger, Jackie.Greger@sierraclub.org
Sierra Club Applauds NJ AG and NJDEP for Holding Polluters Accountable in Historic PFAS Settlement
Trenton, NJ: Yesterday, May 13th, New Jersey’s Attorney General (AG) Platkin and Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Commissioner LaTourette announced the largest statewide PFAS settlement in state history. The settlement is up to $450 million with 3M to resolve 2019 lawsuits to address damage to New Jersey’s water and natural resources from toxic chemicals known as PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) or “forever chemicals.”
3M is a Minnesota based company that was one of the nation’s dominant producers of PFAS. The settlement resolves their liability in the State’s lawsuits regarding the Chambers Works site in Pennsville and Carneys Point and Parlin site in Sayreville (map available here).
NJ Sierra Club Chapter Director, Anjuli Ramos-Busot, issued the following statement.
“It is about time that 3M was held accountable for knowingly polluting New Jersey’s water, environment, and communities for decades. This is yet another historic PFAS contamination settlement for the state ensuring that polluters face the consequences of their actions.
PFAS contamination is widespread and a significant problem for public health here in NJ, and yet at the Federal level we are seeing massive budget cuts to dollars aimed to protect children and sensitive populations from these same toxic chemicals. This means, more than ever, it will be up to the states to take direct action not only to protect the health of future generations and the environment from PFAS pollution but also keep polluters on the hook.
New Jersey is a leading state when it comes to PFAS pollution research, regulation and action. This settlement is an example of that. We can continue to clean all of our waterways as much as we like, and it is much needed, but the pollution will keep coming until we make manufacturers like 3M, Solvay, Chemours and Dupont stop their dangerous game. They are fully aware that their chemical products contaminate all environmental media on a local, regional and global scale, and they also know how poisonous these are to human health, yet they keep manufacturing them. This settlement is a massive step in the right direction to keep, in this case 3M, accountable for their negligence. Perhaps one day they will stop, but until then, NJ will continue to fight and win.
The NJ Sierra Club thanks Attorney General Platkin and NJDEP Commissioner LaTourette for their leadership and for taking action to ensure that polluters pay for their damages and negligence. New Jersey must continue to ensure that our residents and particularly our children are protected from toxic chemicals. No community should have to sacrifice clean air or clean water based on their proximity to polluters.”
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About the New Jersey Sierra Club: The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with millions of members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information about our work in New Jersey, visit www.sierraclub.org/new-jersey.