The Authors

David J. Marmins
David J. MarminsArnall Golden Gregory LLP
David is a business litigation partner at Arnall Golden Gregory LLP in Atlanta. He is at the forefront of land use law and environmental law in the context of PFAS, currently defending three manufacturers in litigation. He also has extensive experience handling banking and related disputes, and additional experience in complex business litigation, class actions, and medical malpractice defense of hospitals. David started his legal career as civil rights prosecutor and, before law school, as a reporter. He earned his J.D. from Georgia State University College of Law.
Morgan E.M. Harrison
Morgan E.M. HarrisonArnall Golden Gregory LLP
Morgan is a partner at Arnall Golden Gregory LLP where she has represented defendants in PFAS litigation since 2016. Morgan also frequently speaks and writes on the subject. In addition to PFAS, she a member of the firm’s teams dedicated to Litigation & Dispute Resolution, Employment law, Payment Systems and Fintech, and the Background Screening industry. She earned her J.D. from Vanderbilt University School of Law.
The Journal on Emerging Issues in Litigation
Emerging Litigation Podcast
Emerging Litigation PodcastProduced by HB Litigation and Law Street Media
Interviews with leading attorneys and other subject matter experts on new twists in the law and how the law is responding to new twists in the world.

Forever Chemicals Will Now Be Regulated

EPA Ushers in New Era of Mass Tort and Environmental Litigation

An enforceable drinking water standard will be an important tool for plaintiffs. Defendants will no longer be able to assert that they have not violated any federal limitations …. And with more government scrutiny … businesses can expect that the wave of recent PFAS litigation will not only continue but will likely increase across the country. 

Abstract:

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the long-awaited proposed National Primary Drinking Water Regulation for six per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, known as “PFAS,” on March 14, 2023. The agency anticipates finalizing the regulation by the end of 2023, and claims that it will save thousands of lives and reduce tens of thousands of serious illnesses.

The EPA has been aware of PFAS since at least the 1990s, when one farmer’s investigation into the chemicals concluded with a seminal lawsuit against multinational chemical company DuPont. A book and subsequent feature film put that lawsuit in the spotlight, and PFAS became mainstream news.

Today, PFAS claims are widely recognized as the next frontier of mass tort and environmental litigation. With the EPA poised to finally enact the first regulation of these chemicals, that frontier is ripe for exploration.

This article explores PFAS and the origin of litigation around the substances as well as the state of PFAS litigation and regulation today. It concludes with some thoughts on what to expect when it comes to PFAS litigation going forward.

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