Today's 'Talking PFAS Feature' (recorded 30/4/2021) is a very open and insightful discussion with Boston Attorney, John Gardella, from CMBG3 Law. If you have any interest at all in PFAS Litigation, you don't want to miss this episode. In this episode we discuss litigation in detail in Michigan, Alaska, and we touch on recent litigation in Sweden. This episode will be of interest to a very broad audience.
John says currently 550 lawsuits sit on a docket in South Carolina related to PFAS in AFFF, but there are hundreds of PFAS litigation matters in the US that do not relate to AFFF.
John Gardella is a Shareholder at CMBG3 Law in Boston, a law firm specialising in the regulatory, litigation, and compliance aspects of numerous environmental and toxic torts issues. He is a member of the firm’s PFAS Team, which counsels clients on PFAS related issues ranging from state violations to remediation litigation. Mr. Gardella has over 15 years of experience litigating environmental and toxic torts matters, including asbestos, PFAS, benzene, lead paint, mold, talc, hazardous waste and pollution matters.
John has written two articles recently for The National Law Review (see show notes for Ep 23) about a recent PFAS suit against a paper mill and associated landfill, that settled for 11.9 million in Michigan and a very recent litigation action filed by the Attorney in Alaska against 30 companies for PFAS contamination of the environment. We discuss these today, see links below. The state is looking to collect costs for any past, current or future costs it has or will need to expense to clean up PFAS. Alaska also seeks triple damages, John explains how this works.
John says "CMBG3 Law has handled several PFAS litigation cases but numerous compliance related questions (so a company that has not been sued but is looking to take steps to curb PFAS use, comply with regulations, or needs help figuring out where their risks are). We actually do not represent either DuPont or 3M (the two primary makers of PFAS) so our corporate clients are other manufacturing or industrial companies using PFAS or considering doing so if they cannot find substitutes. In some instances it’s even just landowners who bought (unknowingly) polluted land and use it for things not having anything to do with PFAS."
John believes when it comes to regulated drinking water levels in the US 'the writing is clearly on the wall that the EPA does intend to take action when it comes to PFAS'. He says 'it is going to happen' and he believes if it doesn't happen this year (2021) it will happen next year (2022). He says there is no doubt in his mind regarding this.
https://www.natlawreview.com/article/pfas-paper-mill-settlement-reflects-growing-trend
https://www.natlawreview.com/article/alaska-pfas-lawsuit-latest-state-action-pfas
*The next Talking PFAS Feature episode will publish on 17/6/2021 - guest will be announced in Talking PFAS News on 14/6/2021.*The next Talking PFAS News episode will publish on 17/5/2021
Copyright Kayleen Bell Journalist

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