Latest news with #ShawnLaTourette
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
3M to pay New Jersey up to $450M in landmark ‘forever chemical' settlement
(The Hill) – 3M will pay the state of New Jersey up to $450 million over the next 25 years, resolving claims regarding widespread contamination from 'forever chemicals.' State Attorney General Matthew Platkin and Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Commissioner Shawn LaTourette announced the agreement on Tuesday, describing the terms as 'the largest statewide PFAS settlement in New Jersey history.' PFAS is the acronym for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, an umbrella group of about 15,000 synthetic compounds known for their ability to persist nearly 'forever' in the environment, and for years in the human body. These cancer-linked compounds are present in a wide array of household items, such as nonstick pans, waterproof apparel cosmetics and stain-resistant fabric, as well as in certain firefighting foams. 'The makers of PFAS forever chemicals knew how poisonous these substances were, yet they produced and thoughtlessly released them into New Jersey's environment anyway,' LaTourette said in a statement. 'This historic settlement marks another step toward holding polluters accountable for dangerous PFAS contamination that has wrought havoc on our water supplies, injured our natural resources and threatened the public health,' the commissioner added. Can you filter 'forever chemicals' out of your water at home? New Jersey, one of the most PFAS-polluted places nationwide, is also the accidental birthplace of the chemicals. In 1938, postdoctoral scholar Roy Plunkett inadvertently created the first type of PFAS, known as PTFE or Teflon, while working on replacements for hazardous refrigerants. Plunkett conducted his research in DuPont labs located in the town of Deepwater, which now houses the Chemours Chambers Works site. The Tuesday settlement resolves 3M's liability in New Jersey's lawsuits regarding Chambers Works, as well as at the Parlin site, located in Sayreville, according to the announcement from the attorney general's office. A statement from the company on Tuesday acknowledged that 'historically, 3M supplied PFAS to DuPont at the site but discontinued that supply in 2001.' The settlement also resolves the state's claims against 3M in litigation regarding PFAS presence in firefighting foam, per the announcement. With this resolution, 3M will now no longer stand trial in an ongoing case on Chambers Works against DuPont, its spinoff company Chemours and other defendants. The attorney general's office stressed that Tuesday's settlement ranks among the only such statewide agreements in which 3M has entered for PFAS liability nationwide. Nonetheless, the 3M statement emphasized that 'this agreement is not an admission of liability.' 'If the agreement is not approved by the court or certain agreed terms are not fulfilled, 3M is prepared to continue to defend itself in litigation,' the statement added. The Hill has reached out for comment to both DuPont and Chemours, whose trial is currently scheduled for May 19, according to the attorney general's office. 'Corporate polluters must be held accountable when they contaminate our state's water supply,' Platkin said in a statement. 'For decades, 3M knew that their PFAS chemicals were forever contaminating the New Jersey environment,' the attorney general continued. 'But they continued to pollute the environment and escape accountability. That ends now.' Per the terms of the settlement, 3M will begin issuing payments of $275 million to $325 million in the years 2026-2034. In the first year, the company will pay $43.45 million for natural resources damages at the Chambers Works site and $16.55 million for related PFAS abatement projects, such as drinking water treatment. 3M will also pay $40 million to cover fees, costs and punitive damages, while financing costs of other statewide natural resource damages and pollution reduction. In the 2035-2050 window, the settlement involves an additional $125 million in payments for further damages and abatement needs. Payments made during those years, however, are subject to certain offsetting credits that 3M could receive if local governments are successful in recouping their own related claims, according to the attorney general's office. Via the settlement, 3M is released from liability arising from its sale, marketing, distribution, use and manufacture of PFAS in New Jersey, the announcement stated. However, the company must continue investigating and remediating PFAS contamination at its former New Jersey locations, the settlement added. The attorney general's office also stressed that the agreement does not impact private PFAS lawsuits filed by individual residents against 3M. 3M in its statement described the agreement as 'another important step toward reducing risk and uncertainty on these legacy issues, allowing 3M to focus on its strategic priorities.' The company noted that in the year 2000, it announced the voluntary phaseout of PFOA and PFOS, two of the most notorious types of PFAS. Twenty-two years later, 3M then said it would discontinue all PFAS production by the end of 2025. '3M remains on track to do so,' the statement added. With this newest settlement, the state of New Jersey has now obtained pledges from companies to pay up to about $840 million for contaminating the environment with forever chemicals, the announcement added. 'The damages we recover from 3M will help fund New Jersey's nation-leading PFAS abatement efforts,' LaTourette said, emphasizing that the state 'will continue to hold all PFAS polluters accountable' for their actions. 'The people of New Jersey should never be forced to clean up after them,' the commissioner added. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Hill
13-05-2025
- Business
- The Hill
3M to pay New Jersey up to $450M in landmark ‘forever chemical' settlement
3M will pay the state of New Jersey up to $450 million over the next 25 years, resolving claims regarding widespread contamination from 'forever chemicals.' State Attorney General Matthew Platkin and Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Commissioner Shawn LaTourette announced the agreement on Tuesday, describing the terms as 'the largest statewide PFAS settlement in New Jersey history.' PFAS is the acronym for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, an umbrella group of about 15,000 synthetic compounds known for their ability to persist nearly 'forever' in the environment, and for years in the human body. These cancer-linked compounds are present in a wide array of household items, such as nonstick pans, waterproof apparel cosmetics and stain-resistant fabric, as well as in certain firefighting foams. 'The makers of PFAS forever chemicals knew how poisonous these substances were, yet they produced and thoughtlessly released them into New Jersey's environment anyway,' LaTourette said in a statement. 'This historic settlement marks another step toward holding polluters accountable for dangerous PFAS contamination that has wrought havoc on our water supplies, injured our natural resources and threatened the public health,' the commissioner added. New Jersey, one of the most PFAS-polluted places nationwide, is also the accidental birthplace of the chemicals. In 1938, postdoctoral scholar Roy Plunkett inadvertently created the first type of PFAS, known as PTFE or Teflon, while working on replacements for hazardous refrigerants. Plunkett conducted his research in DuPont labs located in the town of Deepwater, which now houses the Chemours Chambers Works site. The Tuesday settlement resolves 3M's liability in New Jersey's lawsuits regarding Chambers Works, as well as at the Parlin site, located in Sayreville, according to the announcement from the attorney general's office. A statement from the company on Tuesday acknowledged that 'historically, 3M supplied PFAS to DuPont at the site but discontinued that supply in 2001.' The settlement also resolves the state's claims against 3M in litigation regarding PFAS presence in firefighting foam, per the announcement. With this resolution, 3M will now no longer stand trial in an ongoing case on Chambers Works against DuPont, its spinoff company Chemours and other defendants. The attorney general's office stressed that Tuesday's settlement ranks among the only such statewide agreements in which 3M has entered for PFAS liability nationwide. Nonetheless, the 3M statement emphasized that 'this agreement is not an admission of liability.' 'If the agreement is not approved by the court or certain agreed terms are not fulfilled, 3M is prepared to continue to defend itself in litigation,' the statement added. The Hill has reached out for comment to both DuPont and Chemours, whose trial is currently scheduled for May 19, according to the attorney general's office. 'Corporate polluters must be held accountable when they contaminate our state's water supply,' Platkin said in a statement. 'For decades, 3M knew that their PFAS chemicals were forever contaminating the New Jersey environment,' the attorney general continued. 'But they continued to pollute the environment and escape accountability. That ends now.' Per the terms of the settlement, 3M will begin issuing payments of $275 million to $325 million in the years 2026-2034. In the first year, the company will pay $43.45 million for natural resources damages at the Chambers Works site and $16.55 million for related PFAS abatement projects, such as drinking water treatment. 3M will also pay $40 million to cover fees, costs and punitive damages, while financing costs of other statewide natural resource damages and pollution reduction. In the 2035-2050 window, the settlement involves an additional $125 million in payments for further damages and abatement needs. Payments made during those years, however, are subject to certain offsetting credits that 3M could receive if local governments are successful in recouping their own related claims, according to the attorney general's office. Via the settlement, 3M is released from liability arising from its sale, marketing, distribution, use and manufacture of PFAS in New Jersey, the announcement stated. However, the company must continue investigating and remediating PFAS contamination at its former New Jersey locations, the settlement added. The attorney general's office also stressed that the agreement does not impact private PFAS lawsuits filed by individual residents against 3M. 3M in its statement described the agreement as 'another important step toward reducing risk and uncertainty on these legacy issues, allowing 3M to focus on its strategic priorities.' The company noted that in the year 2000, it announced the voluntary phaseout of PFOA and PFOS, two of the most notorious types of PFAS. Twenty-two years later, 3M then said it would discontinue all PFAS production by the end of 2025. '3M remains on track to do so,' the statement added. With this newest settlement, the state of New Jersey has now obtained pledges from companies to pay up to about $840 million for contaminating the environment with forever chemicals, the announcement added. 'The damages we recover from 3M will help fund New Jersey's nation-leading PFAS abatement efforts,' LaTourette said, emphasizing that the state 'will continue to hold all PFAS polluters accountable' for their actions. 'The people of New Jersey should never be forced to clean up after them,' the commissioner added.
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Middlesex manufacturer will fight $240K NJ fine over air pollution, odor
MIDDLESEX BOROUGH – The state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has imposed $239,700 in penalties against a Cedar Avenue business for violations of New Jersey's Air Pollution Control Air. Spray-Tek, which operates a spray drying facility that has been the subject of complaints by neighborhood residents, has requested an Office of Administrative Law hearing on the violations and the penalty, according to a joint press release by the DEP and the state Attorney General's Office. The order finds that Spray-Tek has operated spray drying equipment without the required pollution control equipment. Spray drying is a process that converts liquid materials into dry powders by rapidly evaporating moisture through the application of heated air, according to the release. The DEP order, issued on Dec. 19, compels Spray-Tek to bring its dryer into compliance by reinstalling the necessary pollution control equipment. In all, the order cites Spray-Tek for more than 120 violations, including two instances of failing to notify the DEP of two releases of air contaminants on March 23, 2022 and Sept. 22, 2022 which resulted in complaints about odors. More: Middlesex Borough commercial building fire under investigation The action by the DEP and the Attorney General is part of an initiative of enforcement actions of environmental violations in 'overburdened communities' under New Jersey's Environmental Justice Law which have historically seen more pollution and contamination but less environmental enforcement than other communities. 'Every resident in every community of our state deserves to live free from environmental harm. That's what environmental justice means, and it's why we remain fully committed to this critical work,' stated Attorney General Matthew Platkin. 'Today's enforcement actions embody DEP's sustained commitment to confronting the historic injustices that have harmed already overburdened communities with a disproportionate amount of pollution,' added DEP Commissioner Shawn LaTourette. Email: mdeak@ This article originally appeared on Middlesex NJ manufacturer will fight $240K state fine over pollution
Yahoo
28-04-2025
- Yahoo
Old images of drones trigger conspiracy theories about New Jersey fires
"Does anyone else think that maybe just maybe all those Drones flying around New Jersey may have had something to do with this big Forest fire going on right now," says one April 23, 2025 post on Facebook. The post -- and other similar messages blaming drones for the historic blazes that ravaged New Jersey in April -- come after reports of unidentified aircraft flying over the northeastern state dominated social media in late 2024 and early 2025, stoking fears among residents. Some posts have claimed these drones ignited the blazes using directed energy weapons, which harness concentrated electromagnetic energy and are being developed in the United States for drone and missile defense. The wildfires erupted April 22 in the pine forests of New Jersey and grew to 15,000 acres, devastating one of the largest protected areas on the east coast and forcing thousands of people to flee their homes. The state was put under drought alert in March (archived here). But the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office said in an April 24 statement that "the cause of the fire was determined to be incendiary by an improperly extinguished bonfire," alleging that a 19-year-old resident set wooden pallets on fire and then left the area without it being fully extinguished. Authorities charged the individual with aggravated arson. New Jersey's Commissioner of Environmental Protection, Shawn LaTourette, told AFP in an April 23 email that they "have not received any credible report of mysterious drone activity and we are not aware of any legitimate evidence that suggests such activity, if it exists, is related to the cause of the Jones Road Wildfire." The claims about directed energy weapons ignited the blazes are also baseless -- and echo conspiracy theories previously shared about similar disasters. In an article on the technology, Iain Boyd, director of the University of Colorado's Center for National Security Initiatives explained that "the power level needed to ignite vegetation with a high-energy laser from the sky would require a large power source installed on a large aircraft" (archived here and here). As of time of publication, 65 percent of the fire had been contained and evacuation orders fully lifted. Drones are not allowed to fly during fire emergencies. The New Jersey Forest Fire Service has repeatedly reminded its residents to refrain from flying recreational drones in fire zones. "Please remember, 'No Drones in Fire Zones - If YOU fly, WE can't!'" the agency said on Facebook April 25 (archived here). The video shared in some of the posts on social media faulting drones for the fire has been online for months, reverse image searches revealed. The clip dates to at least December 2024, when public hysteria over the drone sightings peaked. Despite assurances from the Biden administration, narratives about foreign attacks and UFOs gained massive traction in late 2024. In December, the Department of Defense said an investigation concluded: "To date, we have no intelligence or observations that would indicate that they were aligned with a foreign actor or that they had malicious intent" (archived here). Just after taking office, the Trump administration also responded to the situation. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said during a January 28, 2025 press briefing: "The drones that were flying over New Jersey in large numbers were authorized to be flown by the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) for research and various other reasons," (archived here). "Many of these drones were also hobbyists, recreational and private individuals that enjoy flying drones," she said, adding: "It got worse due to curiosity, this was not the enemy." AFP has previously debunked similar claims about wildfires and directed energy weapons.
AFP
28-04-2025
- AFP
Old images of drones trigger conspiracy theories about New Jersey fires
"Does anyone else think that maybe just maybe all those Drones flying around New Jersey may have had something to do with this big Forest fire going on right now," says one April 23, 2025 post on Facebook. The post -- and other similar messages blaming drones for the historic blazes that ravaged New Jersey in April -- come after reports of unidentified aircraft flying over the northeastern state dominated social media in late 2024 and early 2025, stoking fears among . Image A collage of Facebook and X posts made by AFP on April 25, 2025 Some posts have claimed these drones ignited the blazes using directed energy weapons, which harness concentrated electromagnetic energy and are being developed in the United States for drone and missile defense. The wildfires erupted April 22 in the pine forests of New Jersey and grew to 15,000 acres, devastating one of the largest protected areas on the east coast and forcing thousands of people to flee their homes. The state was put under drought alert in March (archived here). the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office said in an April 24 statement that "the cause of the fire was determined to be incendiary by an improperly extinguished bonfire," alleging that a 19-year-old resident set wooden pallets on fire and then left the area without it being fully extinguished. Authorities charged the individual with aggravated arson. Jersey's Commissioner of Environmental Protection, Shawn LaTourette, in an April 23 email that they "have not received any credible report of mysterious drone activity and we are not aware of any legitimate evidence that suggests such activity, if it exists, is related to the cause of the Jones Road Wildfire." The claims about directed energy weapons ignited the blazes are also baseless -- and echo conspiracy theories previously shared about similar disasters. In an article on the technology, Iain Boyd, director of the University of Colorado's Center for National Security Initiatives explained that "the power level needed to ignite vegetation with a high-energy laser from the sky would require a large power source installed on a large aircraft" (archived here and here). As of time of publication, 65 percent of the fire had been contained and evacuation orders fully lifted. Old drone footage Drones are not allowed to fly during fire emergencies. The New Jersey Forest Fire Service has repeatedly reminded its residents to refrain from flying recreational drones in fire zones. "Please remember, 'No Drones in Fire Zones - If YOU fly, WE can't!'" the agency said on Facebook April 25 (archived here). video shared in some of the posts on social media faulting drones for the fire has been online for months, reverse image searches revealed. The clip dates to at least December 2024, Despite assurances from the Biden administration, narratives about foreign attacks and UFOs gained massive traction in late 2024. In December, the Department of Defense said an investigation concluded: "To date, we have no intelligence or observations that would indicate that they were aligned with a foreign actor or that they had malicious intent" (archived here). Just after taking office, the Trump administration also responded to the situation. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said during a January 28, 2025 press briefing: "The drones that were flying over New Jersey in large numbers were authorized to be flown by the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) for research and various other reasons," (archived here). "Many of these drones were also hobbyists, recreational and private individuals that enjoy flying drones," she said, adding: "It got worse due to curiosity, this was not the enemy." AFP has previously debunked similar claims about wildfires and directed energy weapons.
