Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe v. 3M Company, BASF, DuPont, Tyco, et al.
In September 2025, Lieff Cabraser and co-counsel filed a lawsuit against 3M, BASF, DuPont, Tyco, and related companies for PFAS contamination in water supplies and natural resources on the Leech Lake Reservation in northern Minnesota. In addition to contamination originally found in the public water system at the Bug-O-Nay-Ge-Shig School, PFAS have subsequently been detected in the tribe's lakes, fish, and wild game, threatening Tribal members' health and substantially endangering subsistence and cultural practices central to the Tribe's honored way of life. The Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe is committed to protecting and preserving the water, land, and sky that the Ojibwe people rely on for health, wellness, and spirituality. “The corporations responsible for poisoning our water, land, and people must be held accountable for the damage they have caused in the name of profits for their shareholders,” the Tribe said in announcing the lawsuit. “The products that have caused PFAS pollution were marketed as conveniences to make profits at the expense of the health of humans, animals, and the environment.” As alleged in the Complaint, the defendants in the Band’s lawsuit knew the dangers PFAS posed to human health and the environment, and yet they continued to sell and distribute products containing PFAS. Leech Lake filed this suit to hold them accountable.