January 21, 2021, FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. — The nationally recognized attorneys from Baron & Budd, P.C. alongside Seagle Law PLLC have filed lawsuits against the Chemours Company and Dupont on behalf of 217 individuals who own property near the Fayetteville Works plant. These lawsuits have been filed as part of a consolidated action where hundreds of similar lawsuits are currently being litigated.

According to the lawsuit, Chemours and Dupont have contaminated the groundwater near the Fayetteville Works plant with toxic per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs), including GenX. As a result, many private drinking water wells have been affected by this contamination.

PFASs are man-made chemicals that are used to create many nonstick, stain resistant, and waterproof products. The EPA forced DuPont to phase out use of certain PFASs in 2006, but the company created new perfluorinated chemicals – including GenX — as replacement products.

The carbon-fluorine bond in PFASs is one of the strongest bonds that occurs in nature, which is why these molecules are so persistent in the environment and frequently referred to as “forever chemicals.” PFASs are highly water soluble, which increases the rate at which they spread contaminating soil, groundwater, and surface water.

PFASs are absorbed in animal and human tissues after oral exposure, inhalation, or dermal exposure and accumulate in the serum, kidney, and liver. According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, studies have found that exposure to certain PFAS compounds — PFOA and PFOS — over certain levels may result in developmental effects to fetuses or to breastfed infants (e.g., low birth weight, accelerated puberty, skeletal variations), cancer (e.g., testicular, kidney), liver effects (e.g., tissue damage), immune effects (e.g., antibody production and immunity), thyroid effects and other effects (e.g., cholesterol changes).

GenX and the other PFASs detected around the Fayetteville Works plant may also have similar health effects. Unfortunately, these chemicals may have been released from the Fayetteville Works plant and are now present in the environment, including the groundwater, around the plant. As a result, residents living around the plant have lost access to clean water and have seen their property values drop.

Many residents are coming forward with concerns about their property and private well water. If you live in Cumberland County, Bladen County, or Robeson County and believe your private well water contains PFASs from the Fayetteville Works plant, please contact Baron & Budd to learn more about your legal options.

If your well has been tested, we can help you decipher the results. If your well has not been tested, we can help you get it tested. Call the Environmental Litigation Group (866) 209-9913 or fill out the online form.

ABOUT BARON & BUDD, P.C.

With more than 40 years of experience, Baron & Budd has the expertise and resources to handle complex litigation throughout the United States. As a law firm that takes pride in remaining at the forefront of litigation, Baron & Budd has spearheaded many significant cases for hundreds of entities and thousands of individuals. Baron & Budd has been repeatedly selected by The Legal 500 as one of the country’s premier law firms in mass tort claims and class action litigation. Since the firm was founded in 1977, Baron & Budd has achieved substantial national acclaim for its work on cutting-edge litigation, trying hundreds of cases to verdict and settling tens of thousands of cases in areas of litigation as diverse and significant as dangerous and highly addictive pharmaceuticals, defective medical devices, asbestos and mesothelioma, California wildfires and environmental contamination, fraudulent banking practices, e-cigarettes, motor vehicles, federal whistleblower cases, and other consumer fraud issues.