This story was originally published byGrist.
Unfortunately, PFAS cause a host of health problems.
PFAS have been linked totesticular, kidneyandthyroid cancers;cardiovascular disease; andimmune deficiencies.
Photo: Orlando Sierra / AFP via Grist (Getty Images)
The Department of Defense became involved in PFAS development in the 1960s.
The chemicals, which do not break down naturally in the environment, are still there today.
The Department of Defense, or DOD, has been under growing pressure fromstatesandCongressto clean up these contaminated sites.
Meanwhile,people living near military bases andmembers of the military have been getting sick.
Even if these lawsuits are allowed to proceed, experts told Grist they are not likely to be successful.
But the Federal Tort Claims Act has loopholes.
3M and DuPont did not reply to Grists requests for comment.
Lawyers for the plaintiffs and the defendants declined requests for comment, citing the ongoing legal proceedings.
The U.S. government is the only defendant involved in the PFAS lawsuits that is likely to enjoy immunity.
We cant even imagine what it would cost, Tobias said.
This article originally appeared inGristathttps://grist.org/health/pentagon-tries-to-dodge-pfas-lawsuits-over-a-product-it-helped-invent/.
Grist is a nonprofit, independent media organization dedicated to telling stories of climate solutions and a just future.
News from the future, delivered to your present.
The Dangers of Drinking Raw Water
How does raw water compare to tap water?
A microbiologist explains why the risks outweigh the benefits.
