BY STEFANIE JACKSON BOWMANN, Eastern Shore Post —
Chincoteague is now a party to a multibillion-dollar class-action lawsuit over chemicals that were found in the town’s drinking water seven years ago.
Town Manager Mike Tolbert told Chincoteague Town Council members on Monday, Aug. 5, that he had completed the paperwork for the town to participate in a lawsuit against multinational companies 3M and DuPont over contaminated public water supplies.
The companies manufactured poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, which were detected at various levels in 2017 in water from Chincoteague’s three shallow wells, located on NASA Wallops Flight Facility property.
PFAS are commonly used in fire retardants, nonstick cookware, takeout containers, and many other products. Tolbert said the source of the PFAS found in Chincoteague’s well water was the firefighting foam used by NASA to extinguish aircraft fires and train firefighters.
Some scientific studies suggest a link between PFAS and certain types of cancer, higher cholesterol levels, and suppressed immune systems. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency states that because there are thousands of PFAS found in many consumer products, it is difficult to study and determine the potential risks PFAS pose to human health andthe environment.
Tolbert noted that in 2021, a water filtration plant began operating, which treats Chincoteague’s water and “does an excellent job of removing PFAS to the point where it’s
non-detectable.”
He said 3M and DuPont have agreed to a settlement, but it has not been approved by a judge. DuPont agreed to pay nearly $2 billion, and 3M agreed to pay almost $12 billion, but “there are several claimants that think that’s not quite enough money,” Tolbert said.
He said he consulted the town attorney on the matter, who said it will likely be “several years” before the settlement is finalized and Chincoteague and the other claimants receive any money.
