Citizens Notice of Intent Provides Roadmap for Government PFAS Enforcement

The family of fluorinated industrial contaminants categorized as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, has been blamed for creating a variety of health risks – including potential birth defects and cancer – and is ubiquitous in the environment. Government environmental agencies are aware of the pervasiveness of the compounds and their potential risks, but in the absence of actionable legislation specifically targeting the substances, agencies have been slow to bring enforcement actions. Predictably, non-government litigants have stepped in to fill this enforcement void and to seek redress for real and perceived harms caused by the compounds.