The Town of Thurmont authorized retaining the law firms of Baron & Budd and Poole Law Group for the purpose of investigating legal options and remedies available to it due to the presence of “aqueous film forming foam” or “AFFF” and/or other products containing perfluoroalkyl substances (“PFAS”) (including perfluorooctanoic acid (“PFOA” or “C8”), perfluorooctane sulfonate (“PFOS”), and other related compounds in the town’s water system. 

Such investigation may include the initiation of a complaint in the Multi-District Litigation (MDL), currently pending in Charleston, South Carolina, related to this chemical. 

Thurmont has and will continue to meet all federal and state guidelines for safe drinking water. It has and will continue to protect its citizens. This action is a prudent effort to proactively determine whether third parties have legal responsibility for the cost of treatment for its water system; the taxpayers and ratepayers should not bear this financial burden. The town will continue to exhaust all efforts to protect its citizens and exercise financial prudence in the process. 

For further information on PFAS, visit www.epa.gov/pfas.