Sauder Schelkopf is investigating the impact of PFAS, perfluoroalkyl, and polyfluoroalkyl substances, on Walnut Grove Estates’ water supply. As reported by The Philadelphia Inquirer, PFAS have been detected by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection in the well water of numerous homes in the Benner Township neighborhood. It is alleged that PFAS have contaminated the water because of the neighborhood’s proximity to industrial sites, as well as the carcinogen’s usage in firefighting foam at the adjacent University Park Airport, which is Penn State-owned. A report also noted that PFAS can impact fertility and liver function in addition to being carcinogenic.  Residents interviewed by the Philadelphia Inquirer have reported health issues that may possibly be linked to the PFAS, which have the capacity to remain in the body for an extended period of time. It is alleged that the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania discovered the presence of these carcinogens in 2019. Still, the Department of Environmental Protection did not begin residential testing until 2021, leaving several Pennsylvanians susceptible to the PFAS effects.

Benner Township information page

Experience Matters

Sauder Schelkopf has a nationally recognized litigation practice. The firm currently serves as court-appointed lead counsel in courts across the country.  The attorneys at Sauder Schelkopf have recovered over $500 million on behalf of their clients and class members. Our firm was recognized by the Legal Intelligencer’s 2022 Professional Excellence Awards. The Legal Intelligencer’s Professional Excellence Awards honor Pennsylvania law firms and attorneys who have made a significant, positive impact on the legal profession. Our firm was named in the Litigation Departments of the Year (Specialty Area category; runner-up), an award that honors the best litigation practice in a small or mid-sized firm in Pennsylvania. This recognition was based on the firm’s 2021 litigation work and its important ongoing cases. LawDragon has recognized our attorneys in its list of the “500 Leading Plaintiff Consumer Lawyers” for 2022.  This list notes: “From the opioid epidemic to toxic substances and defective products, truck accidents to wildfires and sexual abuse, these are the lawyers who stand on the front line in individual lawsuits and class actions seeking justice.” Mr. Schelkopf was named to Pennsylvania’s Best Lawyers® 2022 for Class Actions/Mass Tort Litigation. The American Lawyer named Mr. Sauder to its 2021 Northeast Trailblazers. The honor recognizes 60 lawyers who are “truly agents of change.” It “recognizes professionals in the Northeast who have moved the needle in the legal industry.” The Legal Intelligencer named Mr. Sauder and Mr. Schelkopf in its 2020 Pennsylvania Trailblazers list recognizing 31 lawyers who “have taken extra measures to contribute to positive outcomes . . . and who are truly agents of change.” The Legal highlighted the firm’s innovative work on advocacy as class counsel in large institutional sex abuse cover-ups, women’s, and children’s rights. Our attorneys have also consistently been recognized by their peers being named to Pennsylvania SuperLawyer, a distinction held by the top 5% of attorneys in Pennsylvania.  The National Trial Lawyers Association has also selected our attorneys as the Top 100 Trial Lawyers in Pennsylvania.  Joe Sauder also has a history of environmental litigation where he assisted with the trial of the Rocky Flats Nuclear Weapons Plant in Colorado, which ultimately resulted in a $375 million settlement.

We Want to Hear from You

If you have been affected by the presence of and delayed testing for PFAS in Benner Township, please contact the lawyers at Sauder Schelkopf by filling out the form.