PFAS Water Contamination Lawsuit in Ohio

Federal PFAS claims are centralized in MDL 2873 (In re: AFFF Products Liability Litigation) in the District of South Carolina (Charleston) before Judge Richard M. Gergel. Ohio plaintiffs and water utilities file directly into MDL 2873. Ohio is additionally significant because of DuPont's Washington Works plant in Parkersburg, WV — just across the Ohio River — which contaminated Ohio River water supplies and inspired the landmark DuPont litigation documented in the film 'Dark Waters' (C-8 Science Panel).

3M's $10.3 billion water utility settlement (December 2023) and the DuPont/Chemours/Corteva $1.185 billion settlement cover eligible Ohio water utilities. Ohio River valley utilities affected by C-8/PFOA from DuPont Washington Works have a long history of PFAS litigation predating MDL 2873 (the C-8 Health Project). Ohio public water systems near Wright-Patterson AFB are separately affected by AFFF contamination.

Ohio's statute of limitations for personal injury toxic tort is 2 years from discovery under ORC § 2305.10. For latent occupational and environmental diseases, Ohio's discovery rule tolls limitations until the plaintiff knew or should have known of the injury and its causal connection. The DuPont C-8 litigation established that PFOA causes kidney cancer, testicular cancer, thyroid disease, ulcerative colitis, preeclampsia, and high cholesterol — diseases with typical latencies of 10–30 years.

Ohio's major PFAS contamination sources include: Wright-Patterson AFB (Greene and Montgomery Counties — one of the largest AFFF plumes in the U.S., contaminating Dayton-area groundwater), Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base (Columbus), and Ohio River valley communities (Washington Court House, Circleville, Chillicothe area) with PFOA/PFOS contamination linked to DuPont Washington Works across the river. Ohio EPA has identified PFAS in multiple public water systems requiring treatment upgrades.