ANN ARBOR, Mich. – The settlement reached by Attorney General Dana Nessel and Asahi Kasei Plastics is a great step forward for people and wildlife. This settlement ensures accountability for costs and cleanup for PFAS contamination, which threatens watersheds nationwide. 

“PFAS chemicals threaten people, wildlife and our economy here in the Great Lakes. Now that we know how pervasive and prevalent these chemicals are, it's more important than ever to hold industry accountable for the cleanup of PFAS already in our watersheds, as well as to protect and prevent future contamination,” said Marc Smith, policy director for the Great Lakes Regional Center of Policy Director for the National Wildlife Federation. “The settlement reached with Asahi Kasei Plastics, Inc. requires them to clean up the PFAS they release into our waterways. People and wildlife depend on clean water, and with this settlement, we are closer to removing PFAS from our Great Lakes waters. We applaud this critical work being done by the Attorney General and encourage her office to continue her work in protecting drinking water and investing into the cleanup of Michigan's land and water."

Many PFAS are persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic, with risks to humans, fish and wildlife. Because many PFAS bioaccumulate (get taken up in organisms) and biomagnify (increase in concentrations up the food chain), the chemicals can have impacts on fish and game species which are cornerstones to hunting, angling, and the Great Lakes economy overall. For more information on the hazards of PFAS, see the National Wildlife Federation's PFAS Crisis Fact Sheet.