Addressing PFAS Contamination
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) contamination presents a significant challenge, impacting communities and utilities nationwide. From drinking water systems to airports, wastewater facilities, and industrial sites, the financial burden of cleanup, treatment, a compliance is substantial — and it’s unfortunately not going away.
There are viable strategies to mitigate these costs, recover expenses, and protect your community. Taking action now can prevent skyrocketing future costs while addressing the current and long-term
impacts of PFAS contamination.
Whether you need immediate action in recouping funds, are preparing for the ever-changing regulatory landscape for PFAS, or want to understand the impact of federal laws, we can help.
Drinking Water Systems
Primary Contamination Sources: Manufacturing sites, firefighting foam (AFFF), wastewater discharges
Impact: Health risks to consumers, regulatory compliance issues, high cost of remediation
Solutions: Treatment options, budget recovery strategies
Airports
Primary Contamination Sources: Firefighting foam (AFFF) used in training and emergency responses
Impact: Soil and groundwater contamination, regulatory scrutiny
Solutions: Site assessment, remediation strategies, budget recovery strategies
Industrial Sites
Primary Contamination Sources: Chemical manufacturing, industrial discharges
Impact: Environmental pollution, regulatory penalties
Solutions: Contamination source identification, cleanup options, legal actions for damages
Fire Training Sites
Primary Contamination Sources: Use of firefighting foam (AFFF) in training exercises
Impact: Soil and water contamination, health risks to nearby communities
Solutions: Site cleanup, alternative training methods, cost recovery strategies
Wastewater Treatment Plants
Primary Contamination Sources: Influent containing PFAS from various sources
Impact: Discharge of contaminated effluent, biosolid management challenges
Solutions: Treatment technology upgrades, budget recovery strategy for treatment expenses
Landfills
Primary Contamination Sources: Leachate containing PFAS from disposed products
Impact: Groundwater contamination, regulatory compliance issues
Solutions: Leachate treatment, site monitoring, litigation for remediation costs
Explore Claims & Solutions
Guidance on key PFAS questions
Public and private agencies may have questions about how PFAS contamination can impact them. With over 20 years of experience working with states, counties, municipalities, utilities, airports, and private entities pursuing litigation against large chemical manufacturers responsible for contamination, we’re here to provide the insight and support you need.
Questions we can help answer:
How we can help
Stay up-to-date
Collaborative strategy
We do the heavy lifting
With decades of experience, we are currently representing over 250 clients affected by PFAS.
Read our success stories
No upfront costs or retainer
We provide our services on a contingency fee basis. This allows water systems to retain us without any upfront or ongoing fees or litigation costs.
Less work for your organization
Our extensive water litigation experience means we are more efficient with your time, reducing the burden of litigation on your staff.
Commitment to our clients’ cause
We have the resources and experience to fight through trial and appeal, for as long as it takes to get the right results for you.
Recover costs while protecting your community
We go after the big corporations that manufactured the contaminants, protecting both ratepayers and local communities.
Our PFAS legal team consists of 5 firms
We assembled the most experienced group of PFAS and contamination litigators to fight for public and private agencies around the country. We collectively represent over 250 agencies of all sizes, including states, counties, municipalities, water and wastewater utilities, and airports in cases against the manufacturers responsible for PFAS contamination.
SL Environmental Law Group, P.C.
SL Environmental focuses exclusively on complex water contamination litigation and has over 20 years of experience working with public and private water utilities, cities and state governments. Since 2003, SL Environmental has represented over 150 clients in contamination cases that involve PFAS, 1,2,3-TCP, Perchlorate and MTBE, resulting in over $1.2 billion recovered in settlements and trials. Members of the firm hold positions on the Sovereign Committee, the Water Provider Committee, and Discovery Committee in the AFFF multidistrict litigation in the District of South Carolina (“AFFF MDL”), giving SL an upper hand in the MDL proceeding.
Law Office of Kevin Madonna, PLLC
The Law Office of Kevin Madonna, PLLC was formed in 2000 by founding partner Kevin Madonna, who specializes in complex environmental and consumer litigation matters in federal and state courts throughout the United States. Mr. Madonna has served in leadership roles for Waterkeeper Alliance, which operates a network of over 300 water protection programs around the world. He successfully recovered millions for the treatment of environmental contamination in communities in Florida and Michigan, and received a jury verdict of $396 million against DuPont for poisoning a West Virginia community. Mr. Madonna is a founding member of our team of legal specialists and works diligently on our ongoing litigation in the MDL.
Douglas & London, P.C.
Douglas & London has over two decades of litigation experience. In prosecuting cases, the firm’s co-founding partners have served in leadership roles and as trial counsel in some of the largest national MDLs in the country. In the C-8 MDL, Gary Douglas served as co-lead trial counsel in the first two trial cases and lead counsel in the third case, securing a total combined award of more than $20 million for the three plaintiffs. Michael London served as the lead negotiator for settlement in the C-8 litigation, successfully negotiating a $670.7 million settlement with DuPont. Mr. Douglas and Mr.London currently serve on thePlaintiffs Executive Committee in the AFFF MDL.
Taft Stettinius & Hollister, LLP
Robert Bilott, partner at from Taft, Stettinius & Hollister LLP filed the first case in the country that resulted in the discovery and public disclosure of PFOA in drinking water supplies for approximately 70,000 people in West Virginia and Ohio attributable to DuPont. Mr. Bilott helped negotiate and obtain a class settlement in 2004 that secured benefits for the class valued in excess of $300 million, including water filtration systems for impacted private and public water supplies in West Virginia and Ohio, blood testing of 69,000 people, and eventual medical monitoring and establishment of general causation findings for personal injury claims. With nearly 25 years’ experience fighting against some of the biggest chemical companies, Mr. Bilott plays a vital role in our litigation team.
Levin, Papantonio, Rafferty, Proctor, Buchanan, O’Brien & Mougey, P.A.
Levin Papantonio Rafferty is recognized as one of the top litigation firms in the country. Its team of over thirty attorneys have been litigating personal injury and products liability cases since its inception in 1955. Members of the firm have served on Plaintiffs’ Steering Committees and/or Plaintiffs’ Executive Committees in over 20 MDLs across the nation. The firm focuses on all aspects of trial preparation for our PFAS cases, including working up expert reports, organizing discovery, taking depositions, organizing trial exhibits, and drafting and defending motions in limine and Daubert motions.
"I appreciate SL Environmental Law Group’s commitment to the cause. They win only if we win, and they give it all in the process. This allowed us to move quickly at no risk for our rate payers."
