Vermont Judge Won’t Dismiss PFOA Suit Against Saint-Gobain

BENNINGTON, Vt. (AP) — A Vermont judge has denied a motion from Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics to either dismiss or stay the multimillion-dollar class-action lawsuit filed over chemical water contamination.

Saint-Gobain had argued the lawsuit should not be allowed to proceed because the company was challenging the Vermont Department of Health's advisory standard for PFOA, or perfluorooctanoic acid, a chemical linked to cancer.

The Bennington Banner reports (http://bit.ly/2hs4f4g ) a Rutland judge wrote in his decision the plaintiffs case didn't hinge on the state's PFOA concentration limits.

Residents of North Bennington and Bennington are seeking $5 million in damages from Saint-Gobain related to contamination of private wells. The state believes the company is responsible for the PFOA water contamination. The chemical was used for years in the production of non-stick Teflon coating.

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Information from: Bennington Banner, http://www.benningtonbanner.com