State Lawsuits May Be A Template For Individual AFFF Cancer Lawsuits

States trying to protect the future of the environment are suing for funds to help clean up firefighting foam water pollution

Tuesday, July 11, 2023 - Firefighters, maintenance workers, and all others whose occupations require them to use AF Firefighting Foam (AFFF) are looking to the results of state firefighting foam lawsuits against the makers of the fire suppressant for guidance. Many have developed a type of cancer that may be presumed to have been caused by repeatedly coming into contact with AFFF such as bladder cancer, breast cancer, colorectal cancer (colon and/or rectal cancer), leukemia, liver cancer, lymphoma, pancreatic cancer, and prostate cancer. AFFF is made from toxic PFAS forever chemicals with strong molecular bonds, making them ideal flame suppressants. Others use AFFF to degrease firefighting and military equipment without having to scrub the vehicle, weaponry, or machinery. One frequent user told a local reporter that the product was so multi-purpose that they used it on almost everything. Jeremy Souza, an engineer working with foam suppression systems, told the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), "AFFF is a wonderful degreaser. Take a half gallon of AFFF concentrate, throw it on a garage floor, and hose it down, and the stain is gone. I would say that is more of an airport thing--municipal fire departments would never have dealt with quantities of foam like that. But we had loads of it." He also emphasized: "BACK IN THE DAY AT THE AIRPORT, WE USED THIS STUFF FOR JUST ABOUT EVERYTHING SHORT OF BRUSHING OUR TEETH," according to NFPA. If you or a loved one were once employed as a firefighter, a member of the armed forces, an industrial maintenance worker, or another occupation that required the frequent use of firefighting foam and developed cancer at a later stage of life, you might be entitled to lump-sum compensation. AFFF attorneys handling nationwide claims seeks to hold AFFF manufacturers 3M, DuPont, and others responsible for their negligence, recklessness, and carelessness due to selling a product proven to destroy the environment and harm public health.

The Pennsylvania Attorney General's Office has filed a complaint against several manufacturers of AFFF, alleging that PFAS chemicals are destroying the environment and that the companies continue to manufacture and sell them. According to Levitttownow.com, "they (PFAS chemicals) have been proven to be harmful to the environment, animals, and increase the risk of diseases" like the cancers listed above. PFAS, also known as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, constitute a group of synthetic chemicals notorious for their exceptional persistence in both the environment and human bodies. Among the various compounds falling under the umbrella of PFAS, several are considered "forever chemicals." These include perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS), perfluorobutanesulfonic acid (PFBS), perfluorohexanesulfonic acid (PFHxS), perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA), perfluorodecanoic acid (PFDA), perfluoroundecanoic acid (PFUnDA), perfluorohexanoic acid (PFHxA), perfluoropentanoic acid (PFPeA), and perfluoroheptanoic acid (PFHpA). These chemicals have earned the name "forever chemicals" due to their remarkable resistance to degradation, allowing them to persist in the environment for extended periods, raising concerns for both human health and the ecosystem. It is important to note that while the aforementioned compounds represent a subset of PFAS, the overall group comprises a broader range of substances, with ongoing research continually uncovering new variations.

Information provided by AFFFLawsuitCenter.com, a website devoted to providing news about AFFF and PFAS cancer, lymphoma and leukaemia claims, including a free no-cost, no-obligation AFFF Lawsuit Claim.