Managing PFAS Solutions in the Textile Industry

PFAS – or per-and polyfluoroalkyl chemistries – have long been considered a “miracle” in the textile industry, capable of making almost any fiber substrate water, soil and oil repellent. But fluorine-based textile chemistries have come under great scrutiny in recent years, and are not well understood by a global textile industry suddenly challenged with massive change.

Scientists have begun tying PFAS to a wide variety of serious health issues, and consumer groups have begun calling for change. That has led to a growing list of PFAS bans in the United States and Europe. As the industry adapts to these changes, you need to make sure you’re covered by your liability insurance.

Did you know that old liability insurance policies were very different than today’s coverage? And that there is often limited or no pollution exclusion with no time limit on when a claim can be filed? So long as the contamination stems from operations during the policy period, such as manufacturing and wastewater treatment, the claim can be made decades later. Companies often believe they have discarded their historic liability insurance, but old insurance programs usually can be reconstructed from a variety of indirect and secondary sources.

Join Dr. John Malanchuk and Laurence Eisenstein Esq., partners at Eisenstein Malanchuk LLP, Washington, D.C., as they discuss liability insurance and take your questions. They will guide you through the process of finding your insurance to make sure you’re prepared.

Key takeaways:

Find your insurance now, before you need it

Use the insurance to pay for attorneys’ fees and environmental investigations

Also use the insurance to pay for investigation and remediation costs