Coast TV News, Torie Seagraves
October 14, 2024
SALISBURY, Md. – The law firm Baird Mandalas Brockstedt and Federico has filed a class action lawsuit against Perdue over its Salisbury facility showing elevated levels of PFAS, also known as “forever chemicals.”
The lawsuit, filed Friday, Oct. 11, includes that additional testing in the area revealed nitrates were also found in groundwater samples. The nitrates found are often produced in agricultural practices and pose a health risk, according to BMBF.
Five plaintiffs on the lawsuit are seeking monetary damages and remediation of the contamination from Perdue. As published by the Maryland Department of Environment, PFAS can cause medical issues.
“According to the Agency for Toxic and Disease Registry (ATSDR) some, but not all, studies in humans with PFAS exposure have shown that certain PFAS may: affect growth, learning and behavior of infants and older children, lower a woman’s chance of getting pregnant, interfere with the body’s nature hormones, increase cholesterol levels, affect the immune system, [and] increase the risk of cancer.”
EPA standards say safe drinking water levels for PFAS chemicals PFOS and PFHxS is 4 parts per trillion and 10 parts per trillion (ppt), respectively, according to the suit. Groundwater tested at the facility in January 2024 revealed levels of PFOS at 1370 ppt and PFHxS at 1300 ppt, plaintiffs say.
“This is a developing situation, and the presence and source of PFAS in nearby residential wells has not yet been determined – we are fully cooperating with MDE and actively investigating all possibilities, including other potential sources in the area. Our commitment to being a responsible neighbor is unwavering. We have contracted an outside expert to conduct tests of well water at properties within a certain radius of our facility to help determine if PFAS exist in the water.” said Perdue.
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