The Village of Croton-on-Hudson, New York, has taken legal action against some of the biggest names in the chemical industry, alleging that PFAS pollution has reached local drinking water wells.
As of Aug. 14, The Croton Chronicle reported village officials had not publicly disclosed that the lawsuit had been filed, adding a separate transparency issue to the dispute.
Here's what to know
Lawyers for the Village of Croton-on-Hudson filed a 49-page lawsuit in New York state court on Aug. 13. The independent publication noted the case names 17 chemical companies, along with up to 20 unidentified "John Doe" defendants.
In the complaint, the village says the defendants produced fire-suppressant products made with per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, and that those products led to "widespread PFAS contamination" in Croton's wells.
"On information and belief, the PFAS contamination described above is a direct and proximate result of fire protection, training, and response activities in the area near Plaintiff's water system, resulting in the migration of PFAS into Plaintiff's water supply," the filing states, according to the Chronicle.
More background
Village Manager Bryan Healy asserted to the paper that "the Village's water supply is not contaminated," pointing to the village's 2025 Annual Drinking Water Report.
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That report listed detections of one or more PFAS chemicals in wells 1, 3, and 4, with the highest readings in well 1 and lower readings in wells 3 and 4, per the Chronicle. None exceeded state or federal water quality guidelines.
Healy later clarified the apparent contradiction between the lawsuit and the water report.
"Since PFAS chemicals are man-made and non-natural, any level of them in the water system would be considered contamination," Healy noted to the outlet. "However, as I stated previously and confirmed by our water quality report, they are not at a level that is considered hazardous."
The Chronicle said that on Aug. 14, 2023, the Croton Board of Trustees passed a resolution allowing the village manager to hire the law firm for the federal class action and for "any other appropriate action in State and Federal Court." Still, trustees did not take a vote specifically authorizing this lawsuit.
What's being done?
Croton is seeking compensatory and punitive damages, admissions of negligence, attorney's fees, other relief, and a jury trial on all issues.
The lawsuit is part of a broader wave of legal action targeting companies accused of profiting from products that may leave communities to absorb the fallout, as the Chronicle noted.
New York Attorney General Letitia James also announced a separate lawsuit against five major chemical companies, including 3M Company, Chemours, and DuPont, over alleged toxic pollution in the state.
Croton officials say the village's water is being closely monitored.
"Our water supply is regularly monitored and any change would be communicated with the users of the water system immediately," Healy told the Chronicle.
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