Plastics Company Settles in Water Pollution Case

A plastics company has agreed to settle after being accused of contaminating residents’ drinking water in Petersburgh, New York. The settlement was filed on Friday by eight plaintiffs that allege that Petersburgh-based Taconic Plastics polluted the drinking water with perfluorooctanoic acid from a nearby plant.

The plaintiffs said that there were notable chemical levels in their bloodstream after the plant released the chemical through their smokestacks. Research showed that Taconic Plastics also coated their plastic products in perfluorooctanoic acid.

The International Agency for Research on Cancer has rated the chemical as a possible carcinogenic to humans, and perfluorooctanoic acid has been shown to negatively affect animal livers. Thus, this contamination could lead to very serious health issues further down the road for those who were exposed, leading people to further wonder just why these types of dangerous chemicals are used at all.

This plastics company did not comment, though residents are now under careful medical attention to watch for any adverse effects of contamination.

This is a very serious case as many could be consuming these types of chemicals without even knowing it, whether that be from plastic water bottles or heatable plastic containers.

A recent study found that just 20 companies are responsible for 55% of the plastic waste in the entire world. Sign this petition to demand that these 20 corporations switch to producing eco-friendly, biodegradable options instead!

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