Lawsuit accuses Kleenex maker Kimberly-Clark of polluting town with PFAS chemicals
Connecticut residents living near a facility where Kleenex tissues are made allege that toxic "forever chemicals" contaminated their properties and water.
Kimberly-Clark has been hit with a proposed class action filed by Connecticut residents living near a facility where it makes Kleenex accusing the consumer goods company of contaminating their properties and drinking water with toxic “forever chemicals.”
The lawsuit filed in Connecticut federal court on Wednesday alleges the company has used per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, to make tissues at its plant in New Milford. PFAS are released into the air via smokestacks, and may seep into the ground via paper sludge dumped at a nearby landfill, the lawsuit said.
A spokesperson for Kimberly-Clark said the company believes the lawsuit is “unfounded.” They said Kimberly-Clark does not use PFAS in its U.S. consumer products, and plans to “vigorously” defend itself against the allegations.
PFAS are a group of thousands of related chemicals used in hundreds of consumer and commercial products, including to make water resistant diaper linings, paper products, stain-resistant clothing and cosmetics. PFAS have been linked to cancer and hormonal dysfunction, and are often called forever chemicals because they do not easily break down in nature or the human body.
The residents say PFAS emitted from the facility’s smokestacks attaches to air particles or rain before landing on their property, and that can seep through soil into groundwater. They claim contamination on their properties has led to a drop in property values and increased their risk of disease from drinking polluted water.
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