A Fairfield man is suing Sappi Paper over pollution from so-called "forever chemicals."
The class-action suit filed Friday in Somerset County Superior Court, claims Sappi’s Somerset Mill in Skowhegan allowed dangerous chemicals to contaminate his property and drinking water.
The plaintiff, Nathan Saunders, says the state tested his drinking water in January and found levels of the chemical PFAS 185 times higher than the EPA limit.
PFAS is linked to multiple cancers.
The suit alleges SAPPI sprayed fertilizer with PFAS, sold PFAS biosolids as fuel and fertilizer and sent contaminated material to local landfills.
“It is a ticking time bomb and we don’t know how far it spread. We know that for many years though biosolids were spread all over the state of Maine,” said Brian Mahany, Sauders’ attorney.
Mahany says they’re seeking relief for medical monitoring along with monetary and punitive damages, adding this is the first of several suits.
Sappi did not immediately respond to a request for comment.