Nessel files lawsuit against paper company for PFAS contamination in St. Clair County
(CBS DETROIT) - Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel has filed a lawsuit against a paper manufacturer, claiming the company released per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) into the environment and impacted a St. Clair County business.
According to a press release, the lawsuit against Domtar Industries is seeking costs and damages after PFAS was detected at Techni-Comp, a Port Huron composting facility.
The complaint shows the company transported about 145,000 cubic yards of PFAS-laden waste over a 22-year period, "contaminating the property and surrounding lands, ground waters, surface waters, and other natural resources." Officials say paper sludges that were found to contain PFAS were initially declared by the manufacturer to be free of hazardous substance.
The lawsuit also seeks a ruling on the company's liability and to investigate and remediate the contamination from its operations.
Domtar Industries is an international paper manufacturer and formerly operated in Port Huron.
"Michigan residents should not be left holding the bag for the impacts of corporate PFAS contamination, nor for the costs of cleaning it up," Nessel said in the press release. "My efforts to hold companies accountable for contaminating our communities will continue where corporations are not taking adequate remediation efforts or responsibility for their actions."
PFAS is a group of manufactured chemicals that include perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane Sulfonate (PFOS). It can be found in people, animals and the environment.
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), people can be exposed to PFAS through drinking water, eating certain foods that are contaminated, swallowing contaminated soil or dust, using products containing PFAS, working in certain jobs such as firefighting or chemical manufacturing, or breathing air containing PFAS.
In Michigan, 233 PFAS sites detected in the state, according to the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE).
Read the full complaint below:
