Residents ask the Court to certify four classes

What happened

Plaintiffs filed a motion for class certification, a memorandum explaining why the Court should grant it, and a declaration attaching supporting exhibits. Class certification is the Court’s decision whether one case can resolve the claims of everyone in a group.

The filing includes reports from five experts. Dr. Donald Siegel mapped the groundwater contamination. Dr. Erica DiFilippo traced the sources of the PFAS. Dr. Philippe Grandjean addressed PFAS and health, Dr. Alan Ducatman proposed a medical monitoring program, and Dr. Robert Simons measured the effect on property values.

The four proposed groups

1. Property owners who owned property in the Contamination Plume on or after January 31, 2022.
2. Homeowners with POET systems whose wells tested above 20 parts per trillion for PFAS6.
3. Compost buyers who bought MassNatural compost products between January 1, 1981 and May 17, 2022.
4. Residents who drank contaminated well water in the Contamination Plume at any time since 1987, and children born to them.

Plaintiffs also asked, in the alternative, that the Court certify classes to decide the defendants’ responsibility first, with damages decided later.

What it means for you

If the Court grants the motion, the case will proceed on behalf of every person who meets a class definition, and class members will receive a formal notice explaining their rights. If the Court denies the motion, the case would continue for the named plaintiffs, and we would explain the options available to other residents at that time.

What happens next

Defendants’ opposition is due October 30, 2026. The Court is scheduled to hold a hearing on the motion on February 26, 2027.