"BALTIMORE -- Maryland is suing Cecil County-based manufacturing giant W.L. Gore & Associates for knowingly polluting the air and surrounding water with toxic Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS).
Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown alleges in the lawsuit that W.L. Gore released toxic "forever chemicals" for more than half a century during manufacturing, causing widespread contamination of drinking water and the state's natural resources, including surface water, groundwater, soils, sediments, plant, and animal life.
PFAS chemicals are often used in nonstick cookware, water-repellent clothing and firefighting foam. The chemicals do not break down in the environment and can stay in our bodies over time. Researchers have found that PFAS chemicals are present in the blood of nearly all Americans, CBS News reported.
The chemicals can also be used as a thin layer that blocks water from passing through fabrics. The technology can be found in W.L. Gore & Associates' "Gore-tex jackets," according to CBS News."
Adam Thompson and JT Moodee Lockman report for CBS News December 18, 2024.
Advertisement 
