The headquarters of Chemours, in Wilmington (Delaware), in the United States, on October 11, 2021 (AFP/Archives/Brendan Smialowski)
Some 2,400 residents of a factory of the American chemist Chemours (ex-DuPont) in Dordrecht, in the south of the Netherlands, filed a complaint on Monday against the company for the contamination of the environment with “eternal pollutants” harmful to the environment. health.
The plaintiffs accuse the chemist, who owns the trademark Teflon, of having, between 1962 and today, “intentionally and illegally” introduced the substances “into the ground, air or surface water”, “which caused a danger to public health or the lives of others,” announced Me Bénédicte Ficq.
About 2,400 complaints have been “filed against the chemical company (…) and its de facto managers” at the Amsterdam public prosecutor’s office, she said in a press release.
Massively present in everyday life (Teflon stoves, food packaging, textiles, automobiles, etc.), per and polyfluoroalkyl substances called PFAS owe their nickname to their very long life cycle and, for some, to their harmful effect on the health.
The lawyer mentions in her press release perfluoro-octanoic pollution (PFOA in English), a very persistent perfluorinated compound in the environment and GenX, also a major pollutant.
In June, the Dutch channel BNNVARA reported, claiming to rely on court documents, that the American chemist already knew 30 years ago that he was seriously polluting the groundwater below the plant and in its surroundings with large quantities toxic and carcinogenic PFAS.
Local residents now want the prosecution to investigate the leaders they hold administratively responsible.
“The plaintiffs believe that research should be conducted in particular on the knowledge that had existed within DuPont/Chemours since the 1970s about the harmful effects of PFOA emissions, when this knowledge has not been shared with the government. “, added Me Ficq.
“We have shared available information on substances in our manufacturing processes in accordance with government regulations,” Chemours defended to public broadcaster NOS last week.
“We have been investing for decades in the reduction of emissions into the air and into the water”, had also defended a spokesperson.
Chemours, DuPont and Corteva reached a nearly $1.2 billion settlement last June to avoid lawsuits for PFAS contamination of drinking water across the United States.
The American group 3M, known for its tape and post-its, agreed the same month to pay up to 12.5 billion dollars to put an end to the lawsuits brought in the United States by several public water distribution networks. potable for PFAS contamination.
© 2023 AFP
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