Zoé (name changed), age 12, suffers from developmental delays. Pierre, 28, was diagnosed in 2023 with an extremely aggressive melanoma. Ariane, 65, has had breast cancer since 2025. Zoé, Pierre and Ariane share two things in common: They live near the so-called “Chemical Valley” south of Lyon, France, and they wonder whether their illnesses are related to the significant amounts of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) found in their bodies.
Together with 189 other residents living near the Oullins-Pierre-Bénite “Chemical Valley,” they have decided to hold Arkema and Daikin Chemicals accountable. These two companies are suspected of being the source of the largest identified PFAS pollution zone in France, home to more than 200,000 people.
Le Monde has learned that the two companies were summoned before the Lyon judicial court on Thursday, January 29. The 192 plaintiffs – including 25 minors – are supported in their case by four advocacy groups, which are also parties to the case. In the summons, which Le Monde has reviewed, they are seeking a ruling requiring the two companies to “compensate their harm.” The law firm Kaizen Avocats Environnement, which has been building the legal case (medical records, blood, water and soil analyses) for a year, is demanding €190,000 per plaintiff for the total harm identified, amounting to nearly €36.5 million.
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