The village of Endicott has filed a lawsuit against IBM for allegedly contaminating its water supply with chemicals that could pose a danger to human health, reigniting concerns over IBM’s history of chemical leaks as demolition of its Endicott campus begins.
The lawsuit alleges that IBM’s management of certain dangerous chemicals was “careless and negligent,” leading to chemical contamination of soil and groundwater. It points to chemicals the company used in its manufacturing process, including 1,4-Dioxane and PFAS forever chemicals, which have been linked to several health concerns, like cancer.
Those chemicals have been found in wells that Endicott relies on for its water, according to the lawsuit, potentially harming the health of local residents. The village has also had to pay for water treatment and quality monitoring because of the chemicals, the complaint states.
The village, which is home to over 13,000 people in Broome County, now relies on a single well, according to a statement from Endicott Mayor Nick Burlingame. The lawsuit aims to hold IBM responsible, he added.
“For decades, the Village of Endicott has been working to clean up damage to our water infrastructure left behind by IBM,” said Burlingame. “This litigation seeks to ensure IBM takes responsibility for the resources and restorations to our water wells which are necessary to protect public health.”
In a statement, IBM spokesperson Sarah Minkel said there is “no justification” for the village’s demands and the company plans to fight the lawsuit.
"IBM's more than 40 years of remediation activities in Endicott, in partnership with the village and state, demonstrates our longstanding commitment to the health and safety of the residents of the community,” said Minkel.
A history of contamination
The lawsuit asks the court to require IBM pay for past, present, and future costs of cleaning up the village’s water supply. It is unclear how much those costs would be.
IBM operated in Endicott for nearly a century before shuttering its final site in 2023. Demolition of its former campus began on Dec. 31, but chemicals from its manufacturing process continue to lurk underground.
In 1979, the company reported a spill of 4,100 gallons of chemical solvents, which created an underground plume of trichloroethene and other chemicals that can cause health effects, including damage to the nervous system.
An investigation ordered by New York’s Department of Environmental Conservation in 2002 found that contaminated vapor from the plume had migrated from the groundwater, through the soil, and into the air in the buildings above.
The state designated the facility as a superfund site in 2004, stating that chemical contamination posed a significant threat to public health or the environment. The designation also required IBM to investigate the extent of harm and begin clean-up efforts, which continue today.
The company must respond to the village’s legal complaint by March 6.