Firms sued over ‘forever chemicals’ in water

New Jersey is upping its efforts to force chemical companies to pay for decades of contamination of waterways by socalled “forever chemicals” used to stain-proof clothing and produce non-stick cookware that have become ubiquitous in everyday life. The state Attorney General’s Office and the Department of Environmental Protection sued three companies on Tuesday, alleging they have failed to clean up, and in some instances continue to release, chemicals that have polluted public drinking water at opposite ends of the state. The substances are sometimes called “forever chemicals” because they do not break down, and tend to accumulate in the air, water, soil and even fish.