3M, DuPont face Connecticut firefighters’ PFAS lawsuit

A federal judge has ruled that over 20 companies, including 3M, DuPont, and Honeywell, must face allegations by Connecticut firefighters. The claimants assert that their protective gear was contaminated by toxic "forever chemicals," or PFAS, leading to an elevated risk of cancer. The lawsuit, initiated by 13 firefighter union organizations and 12 individual firefighters, alleges that the turnout gear absorbed the chemicals through skin contact, ingestion, and inhalation.

This marks the first class action exclusively targeting firefighter gear containing PFAS substances.

U.S. District Judge Alvin Thompson in Hartford, Connecticut, granted the unions organizational standing to seek damages and allowed firefighters to pursue damages and medical monitoring, even without visible symptoms of cancer or other diseases. The judge also determined that 3M, a leading manufacturer of PFAS, had a duty to warn about the risks and committed negligence.

PFAS found in firefighters' protective gear included 3M's Scotchlite reflective material and DuPont's Kevlar. Honeywell produced the turnout gear, according to the complaint.

Some defendants, such as DuPont, now operate as spinoffs Chemours and Corteva. Lawyers for the companies did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Jennifer Sclar, representing the plaintiffs, stated that the ruling was significant as it acknowledged the potential for prolonged exposure to PFAS from turnout gear to justify legal standing.

3M contended that there were no plausible claims linking its Scotchlite to the gear, while other defendants asserted that the gear did not fail to protect firefighters from fire hazards. PFAS, found in numerous consumer and commercial products, are known as "forever chemicals" due to their resistance to breakdown in the human body or environment.

These chemicals have been linked to higher cholesterol, low birth weight, and reduced antibody response to vaccines. In 2023, DuPont, 3M, and two other companies settled over $11 billion in claims regarding PFAS pollution from firefighting foam and related products, without admitting wrongdoing.