Defendants’ Motion to Transfer Hardwick v. 3M Co., et al. to South Carolina for Inclusion in PFAS MDL Denied

Defendants that previously opposed Hardwick’s inclusion in the South Carolina MDL changed their position and moved to transfer the case to the growing PFAS MDL. The Panel denied their motion, finding the Hardwick claims broad and insufficiently related to the aqueous film-forming foam at the heart of the South Carolina MDL. February 5, 2020 |…

Wolverine Resolves PFAS Claims with State of Michigan and 3M

Two years after the State of Michigan sued Wolverine for allegedly contaminating groundwater with PFAS, the shoemaker settled the State’s claims, agreeing to pay $69.5 million and extend municipal water to over a thousand properties that rely on groundwater as drinking water. One day after the Consent Decree was entered Wolverine settled its related claims…

California Utility Targets the Air Force for the Costs of its Water Treatment Upgrade

California-American Water claims the Air Force should be responsible for cleaning up groundwater contaminated with PFAS from a former nearby base that used firefighting foam during training exercises. The utility seeks $1.3 million, the cost of the granulated active carbon treatment system to address the contamination. After 3M removed this putative class action to the…

CAFA Jurisdiction Keeps Putative Class in Federal Court

After 3M removed this putative class action to the NDGA, Judge Totenberg asked the parties to show cause why the case should not be remanded to state court for lack of jurisdiction. After both sides agreed CAFA supplied jurisdiction, the Court decided not to remand the case, noting the inapplicability of CAFA’s exceptions due to…