Rarely does a day pass without an update in the environmental blogosphere on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, collectively known as PFAS. With minor variations, the story and characters have remained the same: large manufacturers sue, were sued or are about to be sued for issues related to their historic manufacture of PFAS. Amid the flood of PFAS news this year, a new class action in Maine has gotten comparatively less attention from the national media. Yet it is unique, as its principal target is not an industrial giant but a local paper mill. This case portends a shift in the spotlight from big manufacturers of PFAS to smaller industrial users.

By way of background, PFAS is a group of more than 3,000 man-made compounds, including PFOS and PFOA, that are stable, mobile and difficult to remediate. Because of their resilient qualities, they are primarily used to make products that resist heat, oil, water and other external influences. The initial innovators began researching these chemicals in the 1940s, and manufacturing and marketing them in the 1950s. Over time, certain types of PFAS have been phased out of manufacturing. Just last year, the FDA and PFAS manufacturers agreed to eliminate PFAS use to grease-proof food packaging, such as pizza boxes.