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Chippewa County to join PFAS multidistrict litigation as co‑plaintiff with county EDC

Chippewa County Board of Commissioners Finance, Claims & Accounts Committee · March 1, 2026

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Summary

The committee approved a Legal Services Agreement with Smith & Johnson for Chippewa County to be co‑plaintiff with the Chippewa County EDC in multidistrict litigation involving PFAS from AFFF used at sites including Kincheloe Air Force Base; the motion carried on a voice vote.

Chippewa County commissioners voted Feb. 11 to enter into a Legal Services Agreement with the firm Smith & Johnson to pursue multidistrict litigation over PFAS contamination tied to Aqueous Film Forming Foam (AFFF).

The minutes say the county will be a co‑plaintiff alongside the Chippewa County Economic Development Corporation (EDC) in litigation targeting manufacturers of AFFF, the firefighting foam used historically at military sites including Kincheloe Air Force Base. The committee compared the litigation approach to previous national settlements (the minutes reference the Opioid settlement as an analog) and authorized entering the agreement. The motion was moved by Commissioner Jim Traynor and supported by Commissioner Jim Martin; the voice vote carried.

The minutes do not list the precise retainer, fee structure or detailed legal strategy; those financial and procedural terms are expected to be part of the signed Legal Services Agreement and are not specified in the committee minutes.