Per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are widely used, long-lasting chemicals that break down very slowly over time—garnering the moniker "forever chemicals." In the 2000s, PFAS chemicals became the subject of several class actions, which primarily targeted manufacturing operations, alleging that disposal of PFAS in landfills led to drinking water contamination in surrounding communities. Those class actions garnered significant attention, leading to profiles of the most prominent plaintiffs’ attorneys in national periodicals, Hollywood films retelling the plaintiffs’ attorneys’ version of events, and stories on PFAS featured in the national news. Given that these chemicals were used in a broad array of products from cookware to firefighting foams to clothing to cosmetics, attention on PFAS issues has only continued to increase. In October 2021 EPA issued a comprehensive PFAS Roadmap, outlining distinct objectives and benchmarks in an effort to “Research, Restrict, and Remediate” PFAS under a whole-of-agency approach, bringing renewed regulatory attention to the issue. The panel will discuss the backdrop of PFAS-related class actions, current trends in this area, as well as expectations for the future of these class actions in light of the constantly evolving and patchwork regulatory framework.

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