Judge Orders 3M, DuPont, Honeywell to Face PFAS Lawsuit from Connecticut Firefighters

A federal judge has ruled that 3M, DuPont, and Honeywell must face claims from Connecticut firefighters who say their protective gear was contaminated with toxic 'forever chemicals' called PFAS.

The plaintiffs allege that the chemical-laden gear increased their risk of cancer. Lawyers for the firefighters union organizations and individual firefighters argue that 'turnout gear' designed to shield against heat and flames leached PFAS through absorption into skin, ingestion, and inhalation.

Judge Alvin Thompson in Hartford, Connecticut, found that the unions had 'organizational standing' to seek damages. He also ruled that firefighters can seek damages and medical monitoring even if they have no outward symptoms of cancer or other diseases.

The lawsuit began in June 2024. The plaintiffs claim that PFAS were present in 3M's Scotchlite reflective material, DuPont's Kevlar, and Honeywell's turnout gear. Some DuPont liabilities now belong to two spinoffs, Chemours and Corteva.