Cleanup, Costs, and Accountability
Under the terms of the settlement, Domtar must investigate PFAS contamination in soil and sediment at the site and remove any paper sludge already present. Additionally, the company will pay:
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$850,000 in legal fees to the Callow & Utter Law Group, who litigated the case as special assistant attorneys general
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$300,000 to cover future state response costs, should additional hazardous substances be found
A Domtar spokesperson declined to comment on the settlement.
A Broader Crackdown on PFAS Contamination
This marks the second PFAS lawsuit settlement secured by Nessel. In 2023, Asahi Kasei Plastics North America agreed to investigate and remediate PFAS contamination at a former site in Brighton, MI.
Michigan’s sweeping PFAS litigation effort has also ensnared entities beyond manufacturing, including Gerald R. Ford International Airport in Grand Rapids for its use of PFAS-laced firefighting foam, which has reportedly leached into surrounding environments.
The state was represented by Polly A. Synk and Danielle Allison-Yokom from the Michigan Attorney General’s Environment, Natural Resources and Agriculture Division, alongside Joseph M. Callow Jr. and Gregory M. Utter of Callow & Utter Law Group.
Domtar’s legal team included Matthew J. Lund and Todd C. Fracassi of Troutman Pepper Locke LLP.
As the state’s PFAS enforcement gains momentum, the Domtar case may serve as a warning shot to other industrial actors: the days of dumping and denying are numbered.
