PFAS contamination: Trial of 1,400 residents against chemical company 3M begins
The lawsuit of 1,400 local residents against the chemical company 3M Belgium is due to begin on Tuesday afternoon. They are each demanding provisional damages of 20,000 euros for PFAS contamination around the 3M site in Zwijndrecht in East Flanders and the potentially harmful effects on their health.
During excavation work for the Oosterweel connection on the Antwerp ring road, it was found that the soils around 3M were contaminated with PFAS, which can cause a variety of health problems. A family with two children, living about 1 kilometre from the plant, went to the justice of the peace about the issue in 2023.
The family were tested and abnormally high levels of PFAS were found in their blood. PFAS was also found in their vegetable garden. The family demanded compensation from the chemical company based on “excessive neighbour nuisance”, an article of the civil code.
Final compensation
The justice of the peace ruled that the nuisance from the factory was indeed excessive and awarded provisional damages of 2,000 euros, or 500 euros per family member. This was a provisional amount as the extent of the damage may only become clear in years to come. The proceedings were then reopened to determine the final compensation.
Based on the same principle of excessive neighbourly nuisance, another 1,400 locals have now gone to the justice of the peace.
They too claim that they are inconvenienced by PFAS pollution and face health risks. They are each seeking provisional damages of 20,000 euros from 3M, or 28 million euros in total.
The trial starts on Tuesday afternoon with testimony from the residents and their lawyers. 3M Belgium’s lawyers will make their case on Wednesday afternoon. Replies are scheduled for Thursday afternoon, after which the judge will take the case under advisement.
#FlandersNewsService | A street in Zwijndrecht, close to the 3M factory © PHOTO ANP / HOLLANDSE HOOGTE / PETER HILZ
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