The provincial government of British Columbia has initiated a class-action lawsuit against manufacturers of “forever chemicals,” alleging widespread contamination of drinking-water systems.
Attorney General Niki Sharma announced that this legal action marks the first time a Canadian jurisdiction has sued producers of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances.
Similar class-action lawsuits have been filed by B.C. in the past, targeting tobacco manufacturers in 1998 and opioid makers in 2018 to recover health-care costs associated with these substances.
Ms. Sharma stated that the lawsuit aims to hold accountable the companies responsible for creating and profiting from these chemicals by ensuring they contribute their fair share.
According to the U.S. National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, these chemicals have been used in various consumer goods, such as non-stick cookware and cleaning products.
Research conducted by the institute suggests that exposure to these chemicals may result in childhood obesity, weakened immune systems, and certain types of cancer.
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