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Environmental Litigation

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The attorneys at DiCello Levitt have years of experience representing individuals, businesses, communities, and states in suits against some of the largest companies in the world for polluting the environment and endangering human health. We secure results that make these companies take responsibility for their actions and remediate the harm they have caused.

We are frequently chosen by public clients to lead groundbreaking environmental contamination cases.  DiCello Levitt’s environmental team works with several states in investigating and addressing poly- and perfluoroalkyl substance (PFAS) contamination.  Cases involving these “forever chemicals” will have wide-reaching implications for state governments and their residents.  Most recently, DiCello Levitt’s PFAS team, along with other Special Assistant Attorneys General and the Illinois Attorney General, filed a lawsuit against 3M for PFAS contamination from its facility in Cordova, IL. 

DiCello Levitt’s environmental team also assists communities that have been impacted by years of exposure to polluted air, water, and soil. Communities of color and low-income communities have been historically, systematically, and disproportionately impacted by harmful pollution. By helping communities recover from years of exposure to hazardous and toxic pollution, DiCello Levitt’s environmental team helps to supplement environmental justice efforts to provide fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, or income, with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies. 

Known for our efficiency and effectiveness navigating the complexities of environmental, heath, and safety regulations, we also help corporate clients better protect the environment and their neighbors through compliance with federal laws like the Clean Water Act (CWA), the Clean Air Act (CAA), the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA), the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), and the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Our lawyers guide businesses in the development of safety and health programs that meet all of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s regulatory requirements, ensuring all employees a safe and healthy workplace. We also assist companies with air, water, and waste permitting applications by drafting permits and providing counsel on how to comply with all applicable requirements.

Representative Matters
  • People of the State of Illinois v. 3M Company

The State of Illinois retained DiCello Levitt and its co-counsel in its fight against the manufacturers of PFAS (known as “forever chemicals”) for contaminating the State’s air, water, and soil.  On March 16, 2022, the team of Special Assistant Attorneys General and the Illinois Attorney General filed suit against 3M for claims arising from PFAS pollution from 3M’s Cordova, Illinois manufacturing facility.   

  • Nessel v. 3M Company; Nessel v. Chemguard, Inc.; Nessel v. E.I. Du Pont De Nemours and Company

The State of Michigan retained DiCello Levitt and its co-counsel in its multibillion-dollar fight against the manufacturers of PFAS (known as “forever chemicals”)  for contaminating the State’s air, water, and soil. The amount of contamination already discovered by the State makes these matters some of the largest environmental pollution cases in U.S. history. DiCello Levitt and its co-counsel were selected by the State of Michigan’s independent review team from fifteen competing proposals submitted by law firms across the United States.

  • Union, Illinois Toxic Exposure Cases

DiCello Levitt represents more than a dozen residents and former residents of Union, Illinois who have been diagnosed with devastating illnesses after being exposed to carcinogenic chlorinated solvents dumped into the village’s environment by nearby factories for decades.   

  • Chemtool Fire Class Action Litigation

DiCello Levitt serves as interim co-lead counsel in the Rockton, Illinois community’s class action against Chemtool Incorporated following a fire that burned for days and a series of explosions at Chemtool’s chemical plant in Rockton.  The catastrophic event required the evacuation of the surrounding community and contaminated properties for miles around the plant.