5 Delaware residents sue firms over water contamination

Five Delaware residents whose water supply was contaminated by chemicals linked to health issues ranging from cancer to infertility are suing companies that manufactured the chemicals.

The News Journal of Wilmington reports the Sussex County residents say they have high blood levels of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, also called PFAS. Their lawsuit seeks to become certified as a class-action against a defunct metal-plating company, 3M, DuPont and Chemours.

Blades Town Administrator Lisa Marks says the plaintiffs live outside the small town, which installed a carbon filtration system after contaminants were found in the water there last year.

This lawsuit is one of many against the three existing companies by states including New York and New Hampshire. DuPont and Chemours agreed last year to settle lawsuits in West Virginia for $670 million.

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This story has been corrected to show that the residents filing suit live outside Blades.

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Information from: The News Journal of Wilmington, Del., http://www.delawareonline.com