In a huge victory for water protection, Tampa Bay Water has been awarded more than $21 million after a yearslong legal fight against PFAS manufacturers 3M and DuPont.
As reported by the Tampa Bay Times, the settlement is part of a nationwide class-action agreement totaling nearly $13 billion. Tampa Bay Water’s early decision to join the lawsuit in 2019 ultimately boosted its eventual payout by a large sum.
“Tampa Bay Water on its face didn’t have any major problems, but they were forward-thinking enough and gave us the authority to file the suit,” said Augie J. Ribeiro, CEO and managing attorney for Ventura Law, which represented Tampa Bay Water. “Sometimes utilities and cities get criticized for not taking action. Here, they took action, and we were ahead of the curve.”…