We Fight for the Rights of Personal Injury and Accident Victims
Our goal is to make sure you get the justice you deserve and are fully compensated for your harms and losses
Ayer Massachusetts PFAS Lawsuit
Ayer Massachusetts PFAS Water Contamination Lawsuit
Attorney Tracy Paulsen is an Ayer Massachusetts PFAS Lawyer who is passionate about helping you recover money if you suffered from Kidney Cancer, Testicular Cancer, Liver Cancer, Thyroid Cancer of Ulcerative Colitis from drinking Ayer water contaminated from PFAS or “forever chemicals”.
Across Massachusetts, many cities and towns are grappling with a critical issue: their drinking water is tainted with PFAS, a group of toxic “forever chemicals” that have seeped into their aquifers. For years, Ayer residents trusted their drinking water was safe, only to discover the devastating truth—that it may have caused serious, life-threatening illnesses.
Massachusetts PFAS Attorney Paulsen can help you determine if you may be eligible for the Ayer PFAS Lawsuit and make sure you are represented before it’s too late to recover.
If you are a resident of Ayer Massachusetts and believe you have been injured by PFAS, Contact Ayer PFAS Attorney Paulsen Today! Call 617-821-5856
Why Call Massachusetts PFAS Water Contamination Attorney Paulsen
For Attorney Tracy Paulsen, the right to clean and safe drinking water is non-negotiable. She is dedicated to fighting for those affected by PFAS contamination through the Massachusetts PFAS Water Contamination Lawsuit. With a focus on justice, she works to hold manufacturers and corporations accountable for their role in allowing these harmful chemicals to contaminate local Massachusetts water supplies.
Attorney Paulsen provides personalized guidance to every client. She will assess your eligibility for a claim, explain the legal process, and help determine the potential value of your case. From start to finish, she and her team are committed to securing the compensation you deserve for the harm caused by PFAS exposure in Ayer, Massachusetts.
If you or someone you know has suffered health complications from PFAS-contaminated drinking water, you may be entitled to financial recovery for injuries such as:
- Kidney Cancer
- Testicular Cancer
- Thyroid Cancer
- Liver Cancer
- Ulcerative Colitis
Advocating for clean water and a healthy environment has been at the heart of Attorney Tracy Paulsen’s career. She is passionate about holding polluters accountable and protecting the legal rights and well-being of Ayer and Massachusetts residents and their communities.
It is imperative to Contact an Ayer PFAS Water Contamination Attorney Today if you have experienced PFAS health related injuries. The Ayer Personal Injury Lawyers at Rightful Legal are here to help, and will provide you with a Free Initial Consultation.
Remember, Massachusetts PFAS Water Contamination Claims are Time-Barred.
Call Attorney Paulsen Directly at 617-821-5856
History of PFAS Water Contamination in Ayer, Massachusetts
Ayer, Massachusetts, found itself at the center of a PFAS contamination crisis primarily due to its proximity to the former Fort Devens military base, a location with a long history of using per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in military operations. The story of Ayer’s water contamination is deeply connected to the military’s extensive use of firefighting foams containing PFAS, particularly a type called PFAS-heavy aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF), which was standard issue for decades.
Fort Devens, a significant military installation that served multiple branches of the U.S. military, was a major source of PFAS contamination. AFFFs were routinely used during training exercises and emergency preparedness drills, with chemicals seeping into the ground and eventually contaminating local groundwater systems. The military base, which was an active site from World War I through the Cold War and beyond, used these chemicals extensively without fully understanding their long-term environmental impacts.
Unfortunately, contamination wasn’t just confined to the base itself. In 2016, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a health advisory level for two specific PFAS compounds—perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS)—setting a combined allowable level of PFAS to a total of 70 parts per trillion (ppt) in drinking water.
The 2016 EPA advisory was non-enforceable but served as guidance for water systems nationwide. In response, the Ayer Department of Public Works (DPW) began testing its water supply. The results were disturbing.
Ayer DPW discovered PFAS concentrations exceeding the EPA advisory level, particularly in wells near areas where firefighting foams had been used. Emergency actions were taken, including removing contaminated wells from service and initiating quarterly monitoring to manage PFAS levels. The PFAS chemicals from AFFFs used at Fort Devens seeped into the groundwater, affecting local water supplies in surrounding areas like Ayer. Specifically, the municipal water supply and private wells in the area showed significantly elevated levels of these persistent chemicals. The contamination was so severe that many residents were advised to use alternative water sources or install specialized filtration systems.
What made the Ayer case particularly concerning was how widespread the PFAS contamination was – it wasn’t just a small pocket of contamination, but a systemic issue that affected multiple water sources in the region.
⇨ PFAS in Ayer Massachusetts drinking water has been measured at 248.3 ppt, more than ten times higher than the contemporary Massachusetts state average of just 22.2 ppt.
Recognizing the need for enforceable standards, the US EPA proposed new regulations in March 2023, aiming to establish Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCLs) for six PFAS compounds, including PFOA and PFOS, at 4 ppt each.
In October 2020, the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) established a MCL of 20 ppt for six specific PFAS compounds, collectively known as PFAS6.
In April 2024, the EPA finalized the National Primary Drinking Water Regulation (NPDWR) for six PFAS compounds, including PFOA and PFOS, setting MCLs at 4 ppt for PFOA and PFOS, and establishing a Hazard Index of 1 for any mixture containing two or more of PFHxS, PFNA, HFPO-DA, and PFBS. These enforceable standards represent a significant tightening from the 2016 health advisory level of 70 ppt for PFOA and PFOS combined, reflecting increased understanding of PFAS toxicity and the necessity for stricter regulation.
In response to these evolving standards, Ayer constructed two PFAS treatment facilities, completed by July 2022, effectively reducing PFAS levels in the water supply to non-detectable levels. Monthly post-treatment sampling continues to ensure compliance with both state and federal regulations.
Due to these efforts, Ayer’s drinking water currently meets the standards set by the EPA and the MassDEP. However, it is important to remember that even if the Ayer drinking water has been decontaminated, if you were drinking contaminated water for even 6 months since 1990, you are at risk of serious illness.
⇨ PFAS persists indefinitely in the human body, building up over time and increasing your risk. The more contaminated Ayer drinking water you consumed, the more danger your health is in.
The Science Behind PFAS Chemicals in Drinking Water
PFAS chemicals in drinking water form a complex chemical family with remarkable diversity and persistent environmental characteristics. The most commonly detected PFAS compounds include perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS), perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (PFHxS), perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA), perfluorobutanesulfonic acid (PFBS), and newer replacement chemicals like GenX. These chemicals differ subtly in their molecular structures but share a critical feature: a fully fluorinated carbon chain that makes them extraordinarily resistant to breaking down in both environmental and biological systems.
In current water testing trends, researchers are expanding beyond the traditional focus on PFOA and PFOS to investigate a broader range of “short-chain” and “long-chain” PFAS compounds. Short-chain PFAS, which have fewer carbon atoms, were initially developed as supposedly safer alternatives to longer-chain chemicals. However, emerging research suggests these shorter molecules can be equally problematic, often traveling more easily through water systems and potentially penetrating biological membranes in the human body more efficiently. GenX chemicals, a prime example of these newer compounds, were introduced as a replacement for PFOA in manufacturing processes, particularly in non-stick coating and firefighting foam production. Water testing laboratories are now developing more sophisticated multi-analyte screening methods that can simultaneously detect 20 to 40 different PFAS compounds, a significant advancement from previous techniques that could only identify a handful of these dangerous chemicals. This expanded testing approach reflects growing scientific understanding that the total PFAS “chemical cocktail” may pose more significant health risks than individual compounds studied in isolation.
PFOA and PFOS in particular have been directly linked to devastating health consequences:
- they can suppress immune system function, essentially weakening the body’s natural defense mechanisms and making individuals more susceptible to infections and potentially reducing vaccine effectiveness.
- These chemicals disrupt hormonal systems and interfere with critical enzyme functions, which can lead to thyroid disease, liver damage, and significant reproductive problems.
- Perhaps most alarmingly, multiple epidemiological studies have found strong correlations between PFAS exposure and increased cancer risks, particularly kidney and testicular cancers, with evidence suggesting these chemicals can fundamentally alter cellular metabolism and potentially trigger genetic mutations.
- The reproductive impacts of PFAS are especially frightening – research indicates that PFAS can cross the placental barrier, potentially affecting fetal development and leading to lower birth weights, delayed puberty, and increased risk of pregnancy-induced hypertension.
⇨ What makes these chemicals truly terrifying is their ability to accumulate in the human body over time, creating a slow, almost invisible assault on multiple biological systems.
Why Call an Ayer PFAS Drinking Water Contamination Attorney in Massachusetts Today
If you or a loved one drank Ayer, MA water contaminated with PFAS for:
- at least six months since 1990; and
- were diagnosed with kidney cancer, testicular cancer, or ulcerative colitis since 2000,
you could be eligible for significant compensation from polluting manufacturers. If you have lost a loved one to such an illness, you could be eligible to bring a wrongful death lawsuit.
If you are eligible, you should have an experienced Massachusetts PFAS Drinking Water Contamination Attorney in your corner. Proving causation by drinking water contaminated with PFAS is complex, and polluting manufacturers frequently fight dirty to escape responsibility. Rightful Legal lawyer Tracy Paulsen and her team are passionate about holding PFAS contaminators accountable for the injuries they have inflicted on innocent people.
If you are eligible, time is of the essence. Massachusetts has a 3-year statute of limitations for filing any PFAS personal injury claim. Consult with an experienced Ayer Personal Injury Attorney today to assess how much time you have to pursue your Ayer PFAS Lawsuit claim.
Since PFAS stays in the human body for long periods of time, your exposure could have happened many years before your injury was discovered. Even though Ayer drinking water has been decontaminated, you could still be discovering injuries caused by the former PFAS contamination.
You should contact an experienced and compassionate Ayer PFAS Water Contamination Attorney today so that you do not run out of time and lose your one opportunity to obtain compensation. Tracy Paulsen and the team at Rightful Legal can help you calculate the date your injury was discovered and take action before time runs out.
Contact Rightful Legal Now to Assess your Massachusetts PFAS Claim
If you or a loved one has experienced illness due to PFAS-contaminated Ayer water, you may be eligible for significant compensation. Choosing a skilled and compassionate attorney who will vigorously advocate for your rights is essential. At Rightful Legal, we bring over 15 years of experience in Mass Tort cases, including those involving PFAS drinking water contamination. Our team is dedicated to assessing your case, collecting evidence, estimating damages, handling all necessary filings, negotiating just settlements, and, if required, representing you in court. Don’t delay—acting promptly is crucial to protecting your claim.
Contact our Ayer PFAS Lawyers Today at Rightful Legal immediately online or by calling 617-821-5856.
We can provide a free and confidential consultation tailored to your case. Attorney Paulsen received her Bachelors from the University of Virginia in Environmental Science, contributing to her deep expertise in Environmental Science, Law and Litigation. As a Mass Torts lawyer, Attorney Paulsen has worked both for the manufacturer who has been held liable and for the people, who deserve to have their legal rights protected. Attorney Paulsen understands firsthand that victims are just numbers to the corporations, and she knows how to fight back to hold them accountable for the harm they have caused you and your family. Together we can get the Justice and the Compensation you deserve.
