Chemours and DuPont have used their expansive influence in the state legislature to avoid future legal responsibility for pollution from their old factories, according to records obtained by The Washington Post under a public records request.
Both companies, which split into new companies last year, are battling in court over pollution from discharges into the Tappan Zee Bridge and the Hudson River. But in the first six months of the year, Chemours spent nearly $175,000 to hire lobbyists in New York, while DuPont’s lobbying expenditures totaled almost $96,000, records show.
The amounts do not include dues paid to the powerful New York State Association of Realtors for lobbying on issues related to toxic materials, which can lead to lead contamination in the food supply and damage public health. The associations declined to make their staff available to discuss the lobbying and bank deposits.
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More details in this report from Anthony Adragna, Michael Goode and Anjali Athavaley
