Rhode Island attorney general sues manufacturers of ‘forever chemicals’

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha has filed a lawsuit against the manufacturers of so-called “forever chemicals,” commonly referred to as PFAS, saying they have caused significant harm to the state’s residents and natural resources. Neronha faulted the companies for engaging in what he described as “a massive and widespread campaign to knowingly deceive the public.” The American Chemistry Council, an industry group, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Other states have taken similar legal action, including Massachusetts. Rhode Island’s General Assembly recently prohibited food packaging containing PFAS.