Chemical giant E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Co. has agreed to a $27 million settlement with a proposed class of hundreds of residents in upstate New York who claim their drinking water was contaminated with toxic “forever chemicals.” The deal, announced just days before trial, marks the end of a long-running environmental saga centered around the village of Hoosick Falls, pushing total payouts to $92 million.

The announcement, issued Tuesday by plaintiff counsel Weitz & Luxenberg and Faraci Lange LLP, came after nearly nine years of legal combat involving multiple corporate defendants and an interim appeal to the Second Circuit. U.S. District Judge Mae A. D’Agostino acknowledged the agreement via text order and is awaiting a formal motion for final approval.

From Foam to Fallout: A Toxic Trail

The lawsuit claims that since the late 1960s, a local manufacturing facility used foam containing perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA)—a man-made, long-lasting chemical used in Teflon products—that seeped into air and groundwater. The contamination allegedly resulted in elevated PFOA levels in residents’ blood, raising fears of long-term health consequences.

“This case was a battle fought inch by inch,” said co-lead counsel Stephen Schwarz of Faraci Lange. “On the eve of trial, this resolution brings long-overdue relief to the residents of Hoosick Falls and Hoosick.”

The Chemical Lineup: Who Paid and Who Settled?

• Saint-Gobain, the last company to own the plant, purchased it from Honeywell, both of which settled along with 3M Co. for $65 million in 2021.

• That left DuPont as the final defendant still facing trial—until now.

According to filings, DuPont and 3M were also tied to the manufacture of the PFOA-laden Teflon used at the site. Plaintiffs allege these corporations knew the dangers of the chemical decades ago but kept the public in the dark.

A Legal Gauntlet Nears Its End

The plaintiffs are represented by:

• James J. Bilsborrow and Robin L. Greenwald of Weitz & Luxenberg PC

• Stephen Schwarz and Hadley L. Matarazzo of Faraci Lange LLP

• Gerald Williams of Williams Cedar LLC

DuPont is defended by a team including:

• John M. Johnson, Lana A. Olson, Jeffrey P. Doss, and M. Elizabeth Harrison of Lightfoot Franklin & White LLP

• Benjamin W. Hill and Allee Von Stackelberg of Capezza Hill LLP

• Andrew D. Carpenter of Shook Hardy & Bacon LLP

“Forever Chemicals” and a Legacy of Litigation

PFOA, one of a class of PFAS chemicals, is dubbed a “forever chemical” due to its resistance to degradation in the environment and the human body. Linked to cancers, immune system dysfunction, and developmental issues, PFAS have become the subject of lawsuits nationwide. This Hoosick Falls case has become a landmark in environmental litigation over PFAS exposure.

Judge D’Agostino’s court will now review the details of the proposed settlement, likely bringing closure to a case that galvanized public attention on the hidden dangers of industrial chemical waste.