New Jersey AG Secured $393 Million Settlement with Plastics Manufacturing Company for PFAS Contamination

JUNE 28, 2023

New Jersey Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin, along with the Department of Environmental Protection, announced a proposed settlement with Solvay Specialty Polymers USA, LLC—a plastics manufacturing company—for contaminating natural resources with per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), also known as forever chemicals. According to the press release, the settlement is the “first of its kind to address PFAS contamination in New Jersey.” In 2020, the company discharged tens of thousands of pounds of PFAS into the surrounding area, contaminating nearby groundwater and other natural resources. The settlement totaled to $393 million, including costs to clean up the pollution, funds for upgrading public water systems, payments to cover investigation and remediation of PFAS impacts, and compensation to the public for damage to natural resources. It also required the company to take certain actions to clean up the contamination and work with the Department of Environmental Protection to prevent further damage.