LA CROSSE, Wis. (AP) — The city of La Crosse filed a lawsuit Thursday against a host of chemical manufacturers that produced firefighting foam linked to groundwater contamination around the city’s airport.
Tests have revealed at least 40 wells around the airport on French Island are contaminated with man-made chemicals known as PFAS. The chemicals are believed to have originated from firefighting foam used during training and crashes at the airport.
The lawsuit alleges the manufacturers knew since the 1960s that PFAS could be released from their foam and seep into groundwater, posing a risk to human health, yet continued to produce and sell it without warning their customers. The defendants include 3M Company, AGC Chemicals Americas and Tyco Fire Products.
The city is seeking an unspecified amount of damages to cover investigating the extent of the contamination and treating it.
Online court records didn’t list attorneys for any of the companies.
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Featured image: Aerial of downtown La Crosse, Wisconsin (Image from National Weather Service)
