RUTLAND, Vt. (AP) — A collective of Bennington County residents have filed a class-action lawsuit against the company that Vermont officials have blamed for PFOA contamination in their drinking water.
The Burlington Free Press reports (http://bfpne.ws/21R1w6l ) the suit filed Friday in Rutland federal court accuses Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics of negligence in the handling and disposal of the suspected carcinogen perflurooctanoic acid.
Patrick Bernal, an attorney representing the plaintiffs, says Saint-Gobain knew or should have known that its use of PFOA in the manufacturing process and its eventual disposal was potentially hazardous to the environment.
The Paris-based company has been providing bottled water to residents affected by the contamination.
The lawsuit seeks more than $5 million in damages for property value losses and general inconvenience.
Spokeswoman Dina Pokedoff says Saint-Gobain is "evaluating the claims."
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Information from: The Burlington Free Press, http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com
