Case STudy
PFAS Contamination Comes at a Price
Solvay Specialty Polymers chemical plant in West Deptford, New Jersey. Photo: Google Maps
When PFAS contamination spread through New Jersey communities, Dema Law helped lead the legal fight—resulting in the largest environmental settlement of its kind in state history.
For decades, Solvay Specialty Polymers operated a manufacturing plant in West Deptford, New Jersey, releasing per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS)—often referred to as "forever chemicals"—into the surrounding environment. These substances, known for their persistence and potential health risks, contaminated local soil and water, impacting communities in Gloucester County.
In 2020, Dema Law filed a lawsuit against Solvay on behalf of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP), alleging the company failed to investigate and remediate the contamination. After years of litigation, in June 2023, NJDEP and Solvay reached a landmark settlement valued at $393 million—the largest single-site natural resource damages and remediation settlement in New Jersey's history.
The settlement requires Solvay to:
Investigate and clean up contaminated soil and groundwater at and around its West Deptford facility—work valued at $214 million
Pay $101.05 million to NJDEP for additional remedial projects, including the treatment of numerous public and private drinking water wells in affected communities
Pay $75 million to NJDEP to compensate the public for natural resource damages
This case exemplifies our commitment to holding powerful corporations accountable for environmental harm and underscores the impact of strategic litigation in protecting public health and natural resources.