Small-town residents band together to take legal action against major corporation for allegedly toxic actions: 'We feel like we're victims'

A small city in Maryland has become the focus of a class action lawsuit against Perdue AgriBusiness for contaminating local drinking water with "forever chemicals." 

What's happening?

Officials have confirmed alarmingly high levels of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), often called forever chemicals, in well water in Salisbury, Maryland. These PFAS levels may be responsible for some residents' chronic health issues, according ty The New Lede. 

Perdue notified local residents about the contaminated water in November 2024. The resulting class action case alleges that the company showed "reckless indifference to the health and safety of the public," per The New Lede, and that Perdue didn't make this information public soon enough. 

The contamination allegedly stems from Perdue's local soybean facility, which reportedly releases wastewater into a small stream that runs through the town. The company has also sprayed water with PFAS on about 40 acres of crop land and 25 acres of forest. 

Why is PFAS contamination concerning?

PFAS are known as forever chemicals because they can take hundreds or even thousands of years to break down. They are found in numerous everyday objects, such as food packaging, cookware, clothing, and toiletries.

These chemicals can build up in our bodies and may cause cancer, infertility, and other serious health conditions. Some residents of Salisbury have already experienced associated issues, including cancer and liver problems. 

Perdue has not publicly taken responsibility for the contamination, according to The New Lede, but it has taken steps to address it. Still, residents are concerned about health problems from past PFAS exposures, how the contamination has affected their home values, and what water treatment might cost them in the future.

"We feel like we're victims and yet there's nothing we can do about it," said Salisbury resident Dave Freese, per The New Lede. "When I think of Perdue now, I don't have anything good to say about them. It's all about money. I don't think they really care about us, I really don't."

What's being done about PFAS contamination?

According to a statement from Perdue provided to The New Lede, the company has completed well water testing and installed PFAS treatment systems at 95% of impacted local properties. However, residents shared that Perdue has only committed to covering the costs of the water filtration through 2029.

The lawsuit aims to hold the company responsible for paying for the cleanup of the contamination and providing medical monitoring for exposed residents. 

"We understand and accept that test results revealed the presence of PFAS in the groundwater at our facility and are still investigating the source of the PFAS," Perdue said in a statement to The New Lede. "Investigating the source of the contamination is distinct from the obligation we are fulfilling to identify and treat instances of PFAS at properties around the facility."

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