Dupont Says US Not Pursuing PFOA Criminal Charges
Date: 16-Oct-07
Country: US
DuPont said the Justice Department made the determination after completing a review of DuPont's research into and use of PFOA at its Washington Works plant.
Companies use PFOA to help make a variety of consumer products, including non-stick cookware, and breathable, all-weather clothing.
The Environmental Protection Agency said it began investigating PFOA because it is very persistent in the environment and is found at very low levels both in the environment and in the blood of the general US population, and it was found to cause developmental and other adverse effects in laboratory animals.
DuPont released a study last year that followed more than 6,000 employees for more than 50 years and found no increased mortality risks for workers exposed to PFOA. The United Steelworkers union challenged that study, calling it flawed.
In 2005, the company was served with a grand jury subpoena from a federal court, seeking documents related to PFOA and its salts, DuPont said in a statement.
(Additional reporting by Manish Gupta in Bangalore)
(Reporting by Lisa Lee)
