PFAS-Contaminated Soil, Water, and Products Could Cause Illnesses and Birth Defects

McCune Law Group, is investigating the need to bring a class action lawsuit against the manufacturers and distributors of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS). These types of chemicals are ingredients in a wide variety of products used in the military, aerospace and textile industries, machinery manufacturing, construction, oil and gas industries, and many other applications. Because PFAS are entirely synthetic, they take an excessively long time to break down in nature, or may not break down at all, earning them the nickname “forever chemicals.” PFAS are extremely hazardous in large amounts, and their widespread use has already taken its toll on both the environment and the health of those who live or work near a contamination site.

The Health Effects of PFAS Contamination

PFAS can be found in an unbelievable number of products ranging from firefighting foam to food packaging. Therefore, most Americans have a small amount of these pollutants in their bodies. However, extended exposure to PFAS has been shown to result in negative health effects, especially on those who live near an area where PFAS were used or manufactured. According to a study conducted by toxicologists Bevin E. Blake and Suzanne E. Fenton, excessive, prolonged PFAS exposure is a major contributor to reproductive, metabolic, immune, and endocrine diseases. These include:

  • kidney cancer
  • liver cancer
  • testicular cancer
  • ulcerative colitis
  • birth defects
  • thyroid disease
  • delayed fetal and child development.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has set limitations on the concentration of PFAS allowed in soil and drinking water as a result of these adverse health effects. Unfortunately, California does not require water companies to test for PFAS contamination. If a company does choose to do so, though, they must report samples that exceed the EPA’s limits.

The Temescal Subbasin May Have Been Contaminated for Decades 

The Temescal Subbasin (Basin), a significant source of drinking water for the City of Corona and surrounding communities, has a history of PFAS contamination. 

PFAS have a significant presence in many wells used to access groundwater within the Basin. Over decades, the 3M Company—which has one of its oldest facilities in Corona—and others manufactured, used, and sold PFAS, including products that contained PFAS, that made their way into the Basin and water supply. The City of Corona, the City of Norco, and Home Gardens County Water District utilize this groundwater to supply water to the surrounding communities. Corona, for example, moved quickly to address the PFAS contamination issue when it became apparent, upgrading its water treatment capabilities at the Temescal Desalter. Nonetheless, for the years and decades before these safety measures were implemented, toxic PFAS accumulated in the Basin and water supply. 

Unfortunately, the problem is not short term, as a recent PFAS surface water test showed substantially high levels of the toxic chemicals near the Corona 3M Facility.

Protecting Your Family’s Health by Holding Corporations Accountable

McCune Law Group, (MLG) is dedicated to protecting individuals from the shady practices of large corporations. The health of our natural environment is closely linked to the health of our communities. Therefore, we believe destructive company policies must be curbed. The Environmental Practice attorneys of MLG can help hold companies responsible for their impacts on the environment and on the community.

If you live near a PFAS contamination site or a factory in which they produced PFAS, contact us by filling out the form or call (909) 345-8110 today!

Attorney Handling this Case

Portrait of David C. Wright, Partner of McCune Law Group
David C. Wright

David C. Wright specializes in Environmental Law, Product Liability, Personal Injury, and Wrongful Death case matters.  Prior to 2001, he was a federal prosecutor in the Major Crimes Division of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California. Since 2001, Mr. Wright has used his litigation and trial skills to hold vehicle manufacturers, product manufacturers, and fraudulent businesses responsible for their actions.

Since leaving the U.S. Attorney’s Office in 2001, he has applied his experience as a prosecutor to successfully litigate numerous defective product cases against some of the nation’s largest corporations. Prior to working at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Mr. Wright clerked for the Honorable Stephen S. Trott, United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.

His training, experience, and trial skills in this specialized field enable him to identify, understand, and present to a jury the difficult and complicated issues of how an accident and injury occurred and how the tragic results could have been avoided by the use of a safer design.

At McCune Law Group, Mr. Wright is the leading Inland Empire attorney that focuses his practice on the representation of clients who have suffered catastrophic injury or the death of a loved one because of a dangerous product.

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Does your family live near a PFAS contamination site or the 3M factory in Corona, CA and now have contaminated water?