What Are PFAS (Forever Chemicals)?
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a large family of synthetic chemicals used for their water-, grease-, and stain-resistant properties. They have been used for decades in consumer products and industrial applications, including:
- Fire-fighting foams (especially “AFFF” – Aqueous Film-Forming Foam)
- Food packaging and cookware
- Pharmaceuticals and medical devices
- Cosmetics and personal care products
- Pesticides and cleaning agents
- Textiles, carpets, and upholstery
- Automotive and electronic components, and
- Paints, coatings, and building materials.
Because of their unique chemical stability, PFAS do not easily break down in the environment or the human body. They accumulate over time and can spread through drinking water and soil, creating potentially widespread and long-term human exposure risks.
Who Can Commence and Join a PFAS Class Action?
Mann Lawyers represents residents and communities whose properties and private groundwater wells have been contaminated by PFAS chemicals released from sites with firefighting training activities and related operations. PFAS contamination can occur when these chemicals are released into the environment from locations such as military bases, airports, or other sites where PFAS have been used, impacting nearby residential properties
Affected residents may be eligible to commence and join a class action lawsuit seeking compensation for:
- Loss of property value due to the stigma of PFAS contamination
- Difficulty obtaining mortgage financing or refinancing, and increased financing costs
- Professional engineering expenses related to PFAS investigation and remediation
Once a Representative Plaintiff is identified, a class action could proceed on behalf of similarly affected residents within the defined area of contamination.
How Mann Lawyers Helps in PFAS Claims
The Mann Lawyers Environmental Law Group is at the forefront in PFAS contamination class action litigation in Canada. Our Group is counsel in the country’s first and only certified class action involving PFAS “forever chemicals,” representing residents neighbouring a federally owned PFAS contaminated site. The class action seeks compensation for the stigma of PFAS environmental contamination and its impact on the community’s property value.
Our Group is led by Michael S. Hebert, one of Canada’s top environmental litigators and regularly recognized in The Best Lawyers in Canada. Michael was lead counsel in the case of Tridan Developments Ltd. v. Shell Canada Products Ltd., the first Canadian case to recognize “stigma” as a new head of damage for property value loss due to contamination—principles that remain key to PFAS litigation today.
Michael is joined by Nathan Adams, co-counsel in our PFAS class action practice. Nathan brings a unique background in environmental science, positioning our Environmental Law Group as specialists in navigating the complex legal and scientific issues that PFAS contamination presents. Together, Michael and Nathan are at the forefront of this emerging legal frontier, combining decades of litigation experience with scientific insight to achieve the best results for those impacted by PFAS contamination.
Contact Our Environmental Law Group
PFAS contamination is one of the most pressing environmental and public health concerns of our time.
If you:
- Rely on a groundwater well and live near a PFAS-contaminated site,
- Have received notice of PFAS contamination, or
- Suspect your property or well water may be affected by PFAS contamination
our Environmental Law Group can help you understand your rights, protect your property, and pursue fair compensation.
Please refer to our running blog post commentary series on PFAS:
Setting Limits on “Forever Chemicals”: Health Canada’s Updated PFAS Objective for Drinking Water
Canada’s PFAS Reporting Deadline is January 29, 2025 – Is Your Business Ready?
Our Group regularly speaks at environmental law and remediation conferences, and offers presentations on PFAS regulation and litigation upon request.
