Has the water of communities in Suffolk County, New York been contaminated by aqueous firefighting foams (AFFF) to the point where drinking it puts citizens at risk for cancer and other health problems? This class action alleges that the water for Yaphank, Mastic, Mastic Beach, Shirley, and Brookhaven has been contaminated by chemicals used at a firefighting training facility that was declared a Class 2 Superfund Site in 2017.
Two classes have been proposed for this action.
- The Medical Monitoring Class is all current and former residents of Yaphank, Mastic, Mastic Beach, Shirley, and Brookhaven, New York who received water from the municipal water supply or a private well. This class has two subclasses, a Public Water Subclass of residents who received water from the municipal water supply, and a Private Well Water Subclass of residents who received water from private wells within the investigative areas.
- The Property Damage Class is individual who own real property in Yaphank, Mastic, Mastic Beach, Shirley, and Brookhaven, New York serviced by the municipal water supply as well as those who have private wells.
The communities named above all receive water from a single aquifer. The complaint claims that they are “nearby and downgradient” from the Suffolk County Firematics Training Facility in Brookhaven, in eastern Suffolk County, Long Island.
The complaint alleges that the AFFF used at the site contains perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) and other fluorochemicals that can degrade to PFOS or perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), and that these chemicals have contaminated surface and groundwater and eventually found their way into the sources of drinking water.
According to the complaint, studies have shown association between increased PFOA levels in blood and an increase in certain health risks, such as kidney cancer, testicular cancer, ulcerative colitis, thyroid disease, pre-eclampsia, and hypercholesterolemia.
The Environmental Protection Agency has set a Health Advisory Limit (HAL) of 70 parts per trillion (ppt) for PFOA. But the complaint claims that many measurements taken in the area of the training facility greatly exceed this level. The complaint claims, “On site detections exceeding the HAL ranged from 170 ppt to 418 ppt of PFOS/PFOA combined. Off site detections exceeding the HAL ranged from 93 ppt to 986 ppt or PFOS/PFOA combined.”
In May 2017, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation declared the training facility a Class 2 Superfund Site that presented significant threats to public health and/or the environment.
The defendants in the class action include the County of Suffolk, the owner of the training facility, along with makers of the AFFF chemicals, including the 3M Company, Tyco Fire Products, LP, National Foam, Buckeye Fire Protection Co., and Chemguard. The complaint claims negligence, private nuisance, failure to warn, and product liability, among other things.
Article Type: LawsuitTopic: Consumer
Most Recent Case Event
Suffolk County, New York Firefighting Foam Water Contamination Complaint
June 1, 2018
Has the water of communities in Suffolk County, New York been contaminated by aqueous firefighting foams (AFFF) to the point where drinking it puts citizens at risk for cancer and other health problems? This class action alleges that the water for Yaphank, Mastic, Mastic Beach, Shirley, and Brookhaven has been contaminated by chemicals used at a firefighting training facility that was declared a Class 2 Superfund Site in 2017. The complaint claims negligence, private nuisance, failure to warn, and product liability, among other things.
3m_contamination_complaint.pdfCase Event History
Suffolk County, New York Firefighting Foam Water Contamination Complaint
June 1, 2018
Has the water of communities in Suffolk County, New York been contaminated by aqueous firefighting foams (AFFF) to the point where drinking it puts citizens at risk for cancer and other health problems? This class action alleges that the water for Yaphank, Mastic, Mastic Beach, Shirley, and Brookhaven has been contaminated by chemicals used at a firefighting training facility that was declared a Class 2 Superfund Site in 2017. The complaint claims negligence, private nuisance, failure to warn, and product liability, among other things.
3m_contamination_complaint.pdf