AMSTERDAM, Sept 27 (Reuters) – U.S. chemical company Chemours (CC.N) is liable for environmental damage in the Netherlands caused by PFAS chemicals between 1984 and at least 1998, the Rotterdam District Court ruled on Wednesday.

PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, dubbed “forever chemicals” because they do not easily break down, are used in a range of products from firefighting foam to non-stick cookware, and have been linked to cancer and hormonal dysfunction.

The court ruled that Chemours, which spun off from its legal predecessor Dupont (DD.N) in 2015 to regroup the latter’s performance chemical business, complied with its permit before July 1984 but that after that it should have better informed the towns surrounding its chemical plant in the city of Dordrecht, in the west of the Netherlands.

At a later ruling the court will decide whether Chemours is also liable for environmental damage in the region after 1998.

The suit was brought by Dordrecht and three neighbouring towns in 2021, who said the chemical company knew about the dangers of PFAS.

In an official reaction, Chemours said it will study the ruling and that it will discuss with the towns as well as others how concrete action can be taken as quickly as possible.

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.