PFOA Probe Ends Without Charges

The Justice Department will not pursue criminal charges against DuPont in connection with perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) used at the company's facility near Parkersburg, W.Va., DOJ confirmed last week. A federal grand jury had subpoenaed DuPont in 2005, seeking documents about PFOA. DuPont has used the chemical to make its Teflon polytetrafluoroethylene nonstick coating for cookware at the West Virginia plant along the Ohio River. PFOA, suspected of causing adverse health effects, has been found in drinking water supplies near the plant and across the river in Ohio. "We have completed our review of information made available to us, and we will not be pursuing criminal charges at this time," a DOJ spokesman said. Stacey J. Mobley, senior vice president and general counsel for the company, said in a statement, "We were fully responsive to DOJ's investigation. Their decision supports our position that DuPont acted responsibly in this matter."