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The Office of the Attorney General is accepting proposals from law firms to assist the State with handling claims involving toxic PFAS as well as PCB chemicals 

Portland, Maine – Late yesterday, the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) announced that they are taking on the fight against toxic chemicals that have been impacting the health and livelihood of Mainers for years. The request for proposals for outside counsel suggests the AG is exploring seeking damages from industry for the state’s efforts to address contamination from both per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). Both classes of chemicals are persistent, man-made chemicals that have been used in a variety of industrial and commercial applications and have been found in environmental samples across the state. 

“We applaud Attorney General Frey and his team for moving forward in holding industry accountable for the damage they have inflicted on Maine,” said Patrick MacRoy, Deputy Director at Defend Our Health. “The manufacturers are responsible for the contamination from these nearly indestructible chemicals and there is substantial evidence that many manufacturers hid the harm for years. We hope that the developing legal actions will be the start of a process for securing justice both for families directly impacted as well as the state as a whole.”

PFAS ‘forever chemicals,’ can increase the risk of some cancers, cause possible harm to the immune system and decrease responses to vaccines. PCBs have been found to increase rates of melanomas, liver cancer, gall bladder cancer, and brain cancer. Both groups are potentially deadly chemicals that have been discovered in both soil and drinking water across the state. 

“Defend Our Health will continue to fight for laws and policies to protect Mainers from toxic chemicals,” said Sarah Woodbury, Director of Advocacy at Defend Our Health. “In the most recent legislative session, we successfully advocated for LD 1503 and LD 1600 – vital laws that provide the information necessary for the state to understand where PFAS are coming from and where they have polluted our land and water. We look forward to continuing to work with both the legislature and the executive branch to hold the industry accountable and helping impacted communities secure the justice they deserve.”