New York state attorney general Letitia James is began a lawsuit against several large US chemical companies – including 3M, Chemours and DuPont – on 9 July. The lawsuit accuses firms of knowingly contributing to decades of toxic per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance (PFAS) pollution in the state through their consumer goods, and failing to warn the public about their risks.
James is seeking a court order holding the companies liable for this environmental and public health damage and requiring them to pay for cleanup efforts throughout New York state. The lawsuit also seeks damages, restitution and other financial penalties, and would order companies to properly warn consumers about the risks associated with their PFAS-containing products.
‘Big companies like 3M and DuPont knowingly sold toxic products that threatened New Yorkers’ health and polluted our environment for decades. It’s time for them to pay for the damage they caused,’ James stated.
Meanwhile, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has moved to weaken federal rules governing PFAS in sewage sludge fertiliser, or ‘biosolids’. When applied to farmland, residual PFAS can be absorbed by plants and crops or consumed by livestock and then accumulate in the food chain. At the end of June, the EPA sidelined a draft assessment – issued last year under President Joe Biden – which concluded PFAS-containing biosolids applied to farmland pose significant health risks to people and animals who rely on that land for food or drinking water. Instead, the Trump EPA released draft voluntary guidance with recommendations for wastewater treatment plants, states and the public to mitigate risks PFAS involving land application of biosolids.
These developments follow an ongoing criminal investigation into what sickened farmers in a Texas county and killed their fish and livestock several years ago. The culprit was claimed to be biosolid fertiliser contaminated with dangerous levels of PFAS. Last year, the fertiliser supplier commissioned its own lab analysis and claimed its findings absolve the firm of responsibility.
Meanwhile, a separate lawsuit against the EPA filed by Texas farmers, ranchers and environmental organisations – aiming to force the agency to regulate PFAS in biosolids – was dismissed in September 2025. An appeal remains ongoing.
