LEXINGTON, S.C. — The Lexington town council was set to discuss whether or not to be a part of class action lawsuit in their special council meeting at 6:15 p.m.
It involves PFAS, chemicals that have increasingly been found in water supplies nationwide. This is something being discussed nationwide.
Science professionals explain PFAS are forever manmade chemicals that can be found in dental floss, cooking pans or even bags of popcorn.
In this lawsuit, plaintiffs are alleging that these chemicals have contaminated the environment and put people's health at risk.
Columbia International University professor and dean of the college of arts and sciences Dr. David Dewitt said there's not enough research yet on the impacts of these chemicals, but it is currently being investigated and researched by various industry fields.
"We're going to have concern about any kinds of chemicals that have that kind of persistence in the body or the environment and the long term consequences are going to be difficult to discern and what types of health impacts there are," Dr. Dewitt said.
Within the town's extended agenda, they write that they intend to opt out of the lawsuit.
The town goes on to say that this is because it is not in the best interests and welfare of the town.
"If it's only one or two individual people and not the town itself, perhaps that's what they're talking about," said Brian Holmes, lawyer at Joye Law Firm.
Holmes is familiar with class action lawsuits like this one. He explains that when a party is deciding whether or not to join a class action suit, there are factors to consider.
"Generally in South Carolina as well, the harm that we're talking about, it needs to have escalated to a certain level. Generally that's harm of more than $100 per person," Holmes said.
Holmes explains the party opting in or out also has to think about splitting compensation with others and the time it takes to reach a resolution.
But for now, the town intends to be removed from these factors altogether.
News 19 reached out to town leaders Monday afternoon for an interview, but they declined until after the outcome of tonight's meeting.