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Environmental Health & Safety

Texas AG Sues Chemical Giants Over Alleged 'Forever Chemicals' Deception

Dec. 16, 2024

Lawsuit targets 3M, Corteva and DuPont for allegedly hiding health risks of PFAS in household products for decades.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a lawsuit Dec. 11 against 3M, Corteva and DuPont alleging the companies misrepresented the risks of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in their products.

The lawsuit, filed in the District Court of Johnson County, Texas, states the companies failed to disclose health risks and environmental harms associated with their products in violation of the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices–Consumer Protection.

The 45-page filing lists both the former E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company and DuPont de Nemours Inc. formed after the 2017 Dow/Dupont merger and subsequent spinoff of three separate companies, including Corteva.

The state of Texas alleges the defendants marketed products containing PFAS for more than 50 years despite knowing the harmful effects of the substance.

“These companies knew for decades that PFAS chemicals could cause serious harm to human health yet continued to advertise them as safe for household use around families and children,” said Paxton. “Texas is taking action to penalize these companies and hold them accountable for deceiving Texans into buying consumer products without vital information.”

About the Author

Jonathan Katz | Executive Editor

Jonathan Katz, executive editor, brings nearly two decades of experience as a B2B journalist to Chemical Processing magazine. He has expertise on a wide range of industrial topics. Jon previously served as the managing editor for IndustryWeek magazine and, most recently, as a freelance writer specializing in content marketing for the manufacturing sector.

His knowledge areas include industrial safety, environmental compliance/sustainability, lean manufacturing/continuous improvement, Industry 4.0/automation and many other topics of interest to the Chemical Processing audience.

When he’s not working, Jon enjoys fishing, hiking and music, including a small but growing vinyl collection.

Jon resides in the Cleveland, Ohio, area.