In a series of moves this week, Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes and her team took action against the greedy corporate interests that have caused the pollution of the state’s water supply.
First, the Attorney General’s office filed a lawsuit against anti environmental corporate interests, including 3M and Dupont that have been responsible for polluting the Grand Canyon state water supply by the manufacturing of products that contain per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (or “PFAS”.)
In announcing the lawsuit, Attorney General Mayes wrote in a press release:
“These companies have known for decades that so-called ‘forever chemicals’ would contaminate water supplies for generations to come but chose to sell their products anyway. The failure by these polluters to inform the state about the risks associated with these chemicals has harmed our environment and the health of Arizonans – and they must be held accountable.”
According to the same press release describing the lawsuit and reported instances of contamination across Arizona, especially in the Tucson region:
“PFAS compounds used in various industrial and consumer products contaminated the environment and present an ongoing public health risk. One of those products is a fire-fighting foam used for decades at airports and military installations. When used as directed by the manufacturers, the products release PFAS into the environment, cause soil and water contamination, and bioaccumulate in humans and animals.”
Attorney General Mayes’s office also filed comments to the Environmental Protection Agency in a 17-state coalition, urging action for increased enforceable drinking water standards against these same forces of corporate greed.
In another press release, the Attorney General stated:
“PFAS clearly meet the threshold for the EPA to set enforceable drinking water standards, and I urge the agency to finalize its proposed standards for these so-called forever chemicals quickly. The EPA should also make resources available to public water systems so that the financial burden of removing these chemicals does not fall unfairly on consumers.”
There has been positive reaction to the Attorney General’s office actions from proponents of clean sustainability.
Karen Peters, the Director of Arizona’s Department of Environmental Quality said in the first press release from the Attorney General’s office:
“This is an important step to improve and protect Arizona’s water quality for decades to come. We applaud Attorney General Kris Mayes and Governor Katie Hobbs for prioritizing access to safe and clean water, which supports ADEQ’s ongoing work to assist public water systems in identifying issues and developing solutions.”
Thank you @AZAGMayes 👏🏽👏🏽
It is time that companies in the business of “forever chemicals” are held accountable for their impact on our environment & communities. #PFAS #foreverchemicals https://t.co/jiXPEiJgMI— Regina Romero (@TucsonRomero) May 30, 2023
Thank you @AZAGMayes for holding accountable the companies responsible for making the "forever chemicals" like PFAS that are widespread in our water and can stay in our bodies for years without breaking down. https://t.co/tler0qC3A8
— AZ Sen. Priya Sundareshan (@priya4az) May 30, 2023
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