DuPont Dumped Poisonous C8 in Drinking Water
The residents of the Mid-Ohio Valley in West Virginia were poinsoned by Teflon maker DuPont for years without knowing it. Known to be poisonous since the early 1960's perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), or "C8", the chemical is used to make Teflon. A spike in cancer rates and birth defects in the effected region caused the residents to raise questions and ultimately file a lawsuit against DuPont.
The company settled the case our of court, including the creation of the largest public health study ever including over 80,000 people along the Ohio River. The settlement included the installation of several water treatment plants to immediately reduce the amount of C8 in the water.
The private lawsuit also churned the EPA into action, who is mandating the all C8 be removed from consumer products by 2010.
Read more about the C8 lawsuit here.