New Jersey orders cleanup of clothing, cookware chemicals

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — New Jersey is ordering five companies that manufacture chemicals used to stain-proof clothing and produce non-stick cookware to spend what could be hundreds of millions of dollars to clean up contamination from the substances.

The state Department of Environmental Protection on Monday ordered the manufacturers to provide a detailed account of their use and discharge of so-called PFAS substances.

The firms also must pay to clean up contamination they caused.

If they refuse, they could be charged three times the amount of money the state spends to deal with the problem.

The firms — Solvay, DuPont, Dow DuPont, Chemours and 3M — did not immediately respond to requests for comment.