BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WBRC) – The City of Birmingham has filed a federal lawsuit against 3M, DuPont-related companies, and more than a dozen other manufacturers.
The suit accuses the companies of selling firefighter turnout gear containing PFAS chemicals and hiding what they knew about the risks for decades.
The lawsuit was filed Sept. 22 in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama. It names 20 defendants, including 3M Company, The Chemours Company, Corteva, DuPont de Nemours, Honeywell Safety Products, W.L. Gore & Associates and MSA Safety. Several turnout-gear makers are also named, including Fire-Dex, Globe Manufacturing, Lion Group and Morning Pride.
What the lawsuit claims
The case centers on PFAS, often called “forever chemicals,” because they don’t break down in the environment or the human body. The complaint said Birmingham Fire and Rescue Service bought protective turnout gear — coats, pants, hoods, helmets and gloves — built with PFAS in the material…