ARIZONA, USA — Editor's note: The above video aired in 2021.
Arizona is the latest of numerous states across the country that has filed a lawsuit against companies responsible for creating products that pollute state groundwater supplies with dangerous "forever chemicals."
Attorney General Kris Mayes announced the lawsuit Tuesday morning, claiming companies including 3M and DuPont had known about the dangers of the chemicals decades before the products went to market.
The chemicals, called PFAS, have been used in various products, including firefighting foam, and have been linked to cancer, liver damage, decreased fertility and other health risks. They are environmentally persistent -- slow to break down and the defining characteristic is the attachment of a flourine molecule to the substance's chemical structure.
"The failure by these polluters to inform the state about the risks associated with these chemicals has harmed our environment and the health of Arizonans and they must be held accountable," Mayes said.
The lawsuit was filed just months after the EPA released new guidelines on how much PFAS can be included in drinking water before it is considered unsafe.
Around 20% of Arizona's drinking water sources are now considered unhealthy under the new guidelines, according to Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) data. The number of polluted water sources could be higher, as a 2021 audit found ADEQ was lacking in pollution monitoring.
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PFAS plagued Valley residents living east of Luke Air Force base for over a month after high levels of the chemicals were found in the water supply. High levels of the chemical were found in the same wells five years beforehand, but no actions were taken to remove the contaminants.
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