Aqueous Film Forming Foam, or AFFF, has been around since the 1960s.
It's mixed with water and used to extinguish fires that contain flammable liquids, like jet fuel. AFFF can easily seep into groundwater.
North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein alleges there are high chemical concentrations at Piedmont Triad International Airport, Camp Lejune, and Marine Corps Air Station New River.
Stein's office is suing foam makers, including 3M, DuPont and Chemours. In a statement, Stein says the companies knew of the hazards of AFFF, "But they continued to sell this product to line their pockets at the expense of our health and our drinking water. It’s wrong and unlawful, so I’m taking them to court and will fight to make sure they clean up the mess they made."
The Attorney General filed four similar suits last year.
The Minneapolis Star-Tribune reports that trials in some of those suits will begin next spring.
3M could have to pay billions of dollars if it's found liable for pollution-related illnesses.
