County sues manufacturers of PFAS-containing firefighting foam

Dane County has filed a lawsuit in Dane County Circuit Court seeking unspecified damages from manufacturers of firefighting foam that contain PFAS chemicals, compounds that are toxic and do not break down in the environment, according to a Wisconsin State Journal report. The lawsuit names dozens of companies including DuPont, 3M, and Johnson Controls and claims the companies knew the “forever chemicals” in the products were toxic but sold them for decades regardless. The complaint further alleges the manufacturers failed to warn consumers and the public of their dangers, creating public and private nuisances that persist to this day. It states the area around the Dane County Regional Airport continues to be contaminated, creating an environmental hazard and forcing the county to investigate, monitor, and clean up the damage “at significant expense.”