Class action lawsuit filed against Ahlstrom

Seeks to recoup PFAS-related costs

By Eileen Persike

Editor

The website businesswire.com is reporting a Dallas, Texas based law firm is filing a class action lawsuit against Ahlstrom-Rhinelander paper mill and 3M for their alleged roles in “contaminating private well drinking water in Oneida County,” with PFAS chemicals in the area around the town of Stella.

Baron & Budd, P.C. and two other firms filed the suit Aug. 9 in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin.

According to the website, the lawsuit alleges the application of waste from the paper mill onto farmland in the county caused the contamination in nearby private wells. These PFAS chemicals were produced and sold by 3M Company.

"It is Ahlstrom’s policy not to comment in detail on open litigation," Addie Teeters, head of marketing communications and public affairs for Ahlstrom North America, told the Star Journal. "While we are still reviewing the complaint, it appears to focus on activities that are alleged to have occurred prior to Ahlstrom’s acquisition of the Mill in 2018."

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances are man-made chemicals used to create nonstick, stain resistant and waterproof products. They are called “forever chemicals” because they don’t break down and spread easily, contaminating groundwater, surface water and soil.

Businesswire.com states this lawsuit, and others filed for PFAS contamination, seek to recoup costs associated with remediation/access to clean water, past and future water testing, loss of use and enjoyment of property and decreases in property value.