Michigan AG Filed Lawsuit against 17 Companies Over PFAS Contamination

JANUARY 14, 2020

On January 14, 2020, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel filed a lawsuit against 17 companies over contamination of the state’s water resources resulting from the sale, distribution and handling of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and PFAS-containing products. In the complaint, AG Nessel emphasized the need “to hold some of the largest chemical companies in the world accountable for their culpable conduct” and “to recover the funds and resources necessary for Michigan to continue identifying, monitoring, and remediating” PFAS contamination throughout the state. The complaint emphasized that the companies “failed to warn customers, users, the public, or the State, and failed to take any other appropriate precautionary measures to prevent or mitigate such contamination.”

On January 30, 2023, AG Nessel announced a settlement with Asahi Kasei Plastics North America, Inc., one of the companies in the lawsuit. Under the consent decree, the company must inspect for and address PFAS contamination in nearby soil, groundwater, and surface water, and must also repay the state for litigation and other costs.