Foundation sues Chemours over PFAS pollution around Dordrecht plant
A residents' foundation is taking the chemical company to court over PFAS pollution around its Dordrecht plant, seeking an end to emissions and compensation for people living nearby.
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Illustrative photo: 12019 / Pixabay Content LicenseA foundation, Stichting PFAS Vrij Green Claim, is starting a lawsuit against the chemical company Chemours on behalf of about 550,000 residents of the area around its Dordrecht plant. It wants the district court to rule that Chemours is liable for the PFAS pollution and the damage that followed, and to order it to stop the pollution and compensate residents.
The foundation asks the court to order Chemours to phase out all PFAS emissions as quickly as possible, with penalty payments if it is slow. It also wants compensation for the material and immaterial damage suffered by affected residents.
According to the foundation, many residents worry about their own health and their children's. It says they face limits on activities such as swimming in open water and live with uncertainty about drinking water, local food and breastfeeding. The foundation says it matters that the court sees how many residents stand behind the action.
This case is not only about environmental pollution, but above all about the consequences for hundreds of thousands of people who lived for years without knowing which substances they were exposed to.Michael Bacon, lawyer at Kennedy van der Laan, representing the foundation
Anneke van Veen, a board member of the foundation, said: "As local residents we deserve recognition, redress and a safe and healthy living environment."
Source: RIVM
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Chemours
Chemours is a US-based chemical company that makes fluorochemicals and fluoropolymers. In the Netherlands it is known for its plant in Dordrecht, where it produces these chemicals. The company's activities there are closely tied to local debate about PFAS contamination in the surrounding area.
PFAS (per- en polyfluoralkylstoffen)
PFAS, short for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, is a large group of synthetic chemicals containing carbon-fluorine bonds. They are used in products such as non-stick coatings, water-repellent textiles and firefighting foam. Because they break down very slowly in soil and water, they are often called 'forever chemicals', which makes them a major environmental and health concern in the Netherlands.