City of Westfield

BRIAN P. SULLIVAN

City Hall Telephone: (413) 572-6201

59 Court Street Fax: (413) 572-6274
Westfield MA 01085

February 15, 2018

DISTRICT COURT LAWSUIT FILED BY CITY OF WESTFIELD

Today, Westfield Mayor Brian P. Sullivan announced that the City has filed a lawsuit in U.S.
District Court against three manufacturers of aqueous film forming foam, known as firefighting
foam, which was used to extinguish jet fuel fires. The foam consisted of chemicals -- fluorinated
surfacants -- which have been identified by the U.S. EPA as a health hazard. The defendant
manufacturers are 3M Company, Chemguard, Inc. and Tyco Fire Products L.P.

Water from two Westfield water wells near Barnes Air National Guard Base were found to have
exceeded federal advisory levels for the chemicals in the firefighting foam, and have not been in
service since December 2015.

According to the City’s complaint, the foam sold by the defendant manufacturers was used for
decades by the Air National Guard at Barnes Air National Guard Base, including for fire fighting
training. According to the complaint, the defendant manufacturers knew or should have known
that the chemicals are persistent when released into the environment and harmful.

According to the complaint, the use of defendants’ products at Barnes Air National Guard Base
and Westfield-Barnes Regional Airport has forced the City of Westfield to incur substantial
expense to provide clean, safe drinking water to its residents.

The City’s commitment to providing clean, safe drinking water includes (1) a close working
relationship with the Massachusetts DEP; (2) ongoing monitoring of water quality: and (3) the
design, construction and maintenance of filtration facilities serving the public water wells in
proximity to Barnes Air National Guard Base.

The lawsuit against the fire-fighting foam manufacturers is part of the City of Westfield’s
ongoing efforts to pursue all options to make itself whole.

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