On Long Island nine Nassau County water districts have sued several chemical manufacturers, saying the companies marketed a harmful compound that contaminated drinking water, and could cost hundreds of millions of dollars to clean up.
The compound is 1,4-dioxane which the EPA lists as a likely carcinogen.
“The public shouldn't have to bear the cost of removing dioxane from the drinking water. Instead, responsibility falls on the companies that manufactured the chemical and that marketed and promoted its use all while they knew about how long it stayed in the environment and its potential health risks,” said Katie Jones, an attorney with the law firm representing the water districts.
In the suit, which was filed in U.S District Court in Central Islip, the water suppliers seek unspecified damages and clean-up costs. Those clean-up costs have been estimated by the state to be more than $300 million.
A spokesperson for defendant Dow Chemicals, one of three companies sued, said Dow did not conduct any operations on Long Island that would be a source of contamination. And that companies that used the chemical on Long Island are directly responsible.
A similar suit by the Suffolk County Water Authority was filed in 2017 and is proceeding in federal court.
