The Sioux City Council approved a settlement statement of about $161,883 from Tyco Fire Products LP in its meeting Monday.
According to a city memo, the settlement statement is linked to Tyco’s PFAs class action lawsuit. The company was sued for contamination of drinking water due to its aqueous film-forming foam products containing PFAs, per and polyfluoroalkyl substances.
It says in 2022 and 2023, the Environmental Protection Agency updated the health advisory levels for PFAs in drinking water. PFAs, or forever chemicals, are man-made chemicals that don’t break down in the environment.
The city council joined national lawsuits against 3M, Dupont, and Tyco Fire Products LP, after forever-chemicals were found in the source and finished water at the Southbridge water treatment plant. According to the memo, all three companies are manufacturers of PFAs.
The memo states claims against 3M and DuPont were that the companies knew that their AFFF products contained PFAs, ultimately contaminating drinking water.
The settlement funds from Tyco will be used for services such as engineering services, treatment evaluation, and water quality testing.
