Texas AG Accuses 3M, DuPont of Hiding Dangers of ‘Forever Chemicals’

The lawsuit alleges the companies concealed health and environmental risks while marketing products like Teflon, Stainmaster, and Scotchgard.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton speaks at a news conference in Dallas, June 22, 2017. Tony Gutierrez/AP Photo

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a lawsuit against major chemical manufacturers 3M and DuPont on Dec. 11, alleging that the companies misled consumers for decades about the safety of widely used per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, known as PFAS chemicals.

Because most PFAS chemicals don’t break down, they are often called “forever chemicals.”

According to the FDA, PFAS chemicals have been used since the 1940s in products like stain-resistant fabrics, cleaning supplies, and firefighting foams.

The FDA said that PFAS can accumulate in humans and animals, and while research is ongoing, certain types have been linked to serious health effects.

The suit asserts that 3M and DuPont, in marketing products under brand names like Teflon, Stainmaster, and Scotchgard, concealed serious health and environmental hazards associated with these substances. The complaint alleges that the actions by defendants violated the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices–Consumer Protection Act.

“Defendants marketed products containing harmful PFAS chemicals for over 70 years and were aware of the harmful effects of PFAS chemicals for over 50 years,“ the state said in the complaint. ”Despite this knowledge, Defendants continued to market PFAS products and chemicals in Texas and elsewhere as safe for consumer use, misrepresent their environmental and biological risks, and conceal risks of harm from the public.”

Although these substances were touted for their resistance to heat, oil, stains, and water, the state argues that the public was never properly informed of the potential toxic effects.

“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,” Paxton said in a press release. “Texas is taking action to penalize these companies and hold them accountable for deceiving Texans into buying consumer products without vital information.” 

The suit is an escalation from earlier legal actions related to products containing PFAS compounds affecting Texas lands and waters. The lawsuit indicates that Texas aims to secure penalties and accountability from the industrial giants.

In response to a request for comment from The Epoch Times, a DuPont spokesperson said the company believed the complaint was meritless.

“In 2019, DuPont de Nemours was established as a new multi-industrial specialty products company. DuPont de Nemours has never manufactured PFOA or PFOS,” the spokesman said in the emailed statement. “While we don’t comment on litigation matters, we believe this complaint is without merit, and we look forward to vigorously defending our record of safety, health and environmental stewardship.”

3M did not respond to The Epoch Times when seeking a statement on the lawsuit’s allegations.