As local residents have turned to the legal system to seek compensation for damages caused by the “forever chemical” pollution of Chemours and its predecessor, DuPont, the companies have readily mounted a defense. 

Here’s the latest on the legal front: 

Baron & Budd cases

  • In two consolidated lawsuits since 2018, over 2,500 individual plaintiffs have filed complaints with Baron & Budd and Seagle Law against Chemours and DuPont. The plaintiffs in the lawsuits own properties that they allege have been contaminated with PFAS from the Fayetteville Works plant from groundwater, surface water, soil and air.
  • Locals have been eagerly awaiting trial scheduling for the six bellwether cases in the lawsuit. This was expected to happen last year, but progress has been stalled. The plaintiffs’ lawyers are currently awaiting a scheduling order for the trial from the court, plaintiffs told CityView. 
  • Chemours’ lawyers have attempted to seal multiple documents exchanged as part of the legal proceedings, as well as invalidate the expert testimony of a plaintiff witness (the request was denied).
  • The last filing in the case was on Nov. 27, 2024, when the court denied Chemours’ latest attempt to seal documents its lawyers submitted as part of a request for summary judgement.

Class actions 

  • On Dec. 18, 2024, Chemours and DuPont asked the court to decertify three class action suits brought against it by over 100,000 North Carolina residents allegedly affected by the chemical manufacturer’s PFAS pollution. 
  • This request, if granted, would dissolve the class action and prevent the case from proceeding as a single group lawsuit, requiring individual claims to be pursued separately. So far, the court has not issued a ruling on the request. 
  • The plaintiffs in the class action are suing for $5 million. They include private well owners and water utility customers near the Chemours plant. 

Other lawsuits 

  • Cumberland County sued Chemours, Corteva, and DuPont for contaminating residents’ drinking water with “forever chemicals” in 2022. The lawsuit has progressed, and a trial is set to take place no sooner than Sept. 10 in Cumberland County Superior Court.
  • Cumberland County residents are also among the plaintiffs in eight lawsuits filed in 2023 against Chemours, Corteva and DuPont over PFAS contamination. The plaintiffs are seeking recourse for personal injuries and property damage they attribute to exposure of the PFAS contaminants produced by the companies. 

Contact Evey Weisblat at eweisblat@cityviewnc.com or 216-527-3608. This story was made possible by donations from readers like you to CityView News Fund, a 501(c)(3) charitable organization committed to an informed democracy in Fayetteville and Cumberland County.

Evey Weisblat is a journalist with five years of experience in local news reporting. She has previously worked at papers in central North Carolina, including The Pilot and the Chatham News + Record. Her central beat is government accountability reporting, covering the Fayetteville City Council.