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Citrus County to join national PFAS class action over firefighting foam; legal work to be handled on contingency
Summary
County attorneys recommended and commissioners approved joining the national PFAS multidistrict litigation on a contingency-fee basis. Outside firms led by the court-appointed counsel will advance claims tied to foam used at the county fire training center with no upfront cost to the county.
Citrus County voted Tuesday to join the nationwide multidistrict litigation over PFAS contamination related to aqueous film-forming foams (AFFF) used at firefighting training facilities.
What happened: County Attorney Denise Lynn said the county retained consultants and has been studying potential PFAS exposure at the county fire training center. Outside counsel Dale Scott reported he had spoken with the court-appointed lead attorneys working in the South Carolina multidistrict litigation and advised that Citrus County is a candidate to join governmental entities pursuing claims tied to foam use and environmental impacts.
Contingency arrangement: Scott explained the proposed engagement would be a contingency-fee arrangement: the lead plaintiff firms — named in the meeting as the Baron & Bud firm and the Kossage firm — would bear litigation costs and be paid only if the county receives recoveries. Scott said the retainer language is a standard form the firms have used for Florida governmental clients and that the county’s primary burdens would be limited staff time to provide records and historical information.
Board action and rationale: Commissioner Kennard moved — and the board voted unanimously — to join the class action on a contingency basis and to authorize execution of the legal-services agreement. Lynn and Scott told commissioners that timeliness matters because some categories of claimants met earlier deadlines; however Scott said the central group of governmental entities that operated training facilities remains a core category that continues to be eligible.
Next steps and caveats: Staff will provide the requested documents and the county attorney will coordinate with the lead firms. Scott said the firms will handle litigation activities and report settlement developments to the county attorney. Commissioners asked for periodic updates and were advised the arrangement imposes no upfront costs beyond staff time.
Ending: With the vote, Citrus County positioned itself to seek recovery if the litigation produces compensatory settlements or awards tied to contamination or remediation costs associated with firefighting foam.
