Paint and coatings manufacturers face some of the most complex and layered environmental concerns in the manufacturing sector. This translates directly into pollution liability — at the manufacturing facility and neighboring properties, at third-party disposal sites, and at the point of product use. Environmental claims against paint and coatings manufacturers have produced some of the largest pollution-related settlements and Superfund obligations in U.S. history, with liability driven by legacy site contamination, ongoing regulatory compliance requirements, and downstream product risks that can persist for decades. Take a look at some environmental exposures these manufacturers face:
Air Quality
Paint and coating manufacturing facilities may emit hazardous air pollutants (HAPs), volatile organic compounds (VOC), and particle pollution (dust).
Hazardous Material and Fire & Explosion Hazards
The presence, mishandling, or improper storage of heavy metals and toxic pigments. Additionally, numerous solvents used in paint and coatings manufacturing have low flash points and evaporate rapidly, producing highly flammable fumes that create significant fire or explosion risk.
Waste Management
Improperly disposing of hazardous materials, oil, or other contaminants can damage plants and animals and cause significant problems for local water treatment facilities.
Water Contamination Risks
Mixing and cleaning operations can release HAPs and VOC, and chemicals in these substances can react in the air to form ground-level ozone (smog). Additionally, improper disposal of chemical waste can contaminate groundwater and surface water.
Manufacturing Process
Exposure occurs during manual handling operations such as weighing ingredients (pigments, extenders, resins, additives), loading mixing equipment, adding solvents to mills, and cleaning equipment.
Pollution from the Product Itself
Specific concerns in paint and coating products may include: endocrine disruptors, biocides, lead, and harmful emissions.
Lawsuits and Claims for Paint & Coatings Manufacturers
Illinois reached a settlement with Monsanto (now part of Bayer) for PCB pollution, with the company having sold almost 50 million pounds of PCB mixtures in Illinois from its Sauget plant, which discharged hazardous waste into sewers contaminating the Mississippi River. PCBs were used in coatings and lubricants for electrical equipment.
In August 2025, the Attorney General announced a proposed settlement with Solvay Specialty Polymers that would ensure remediation of PFAS contamination near their West Deptford, Gloucester County facility, with financial commitments of nearly $393 million.
In July 2025, DuPont agreed to a $27 million settlement to resolve a nearly decade-long lawsuit over contamination of Hoosick Falls water supply, bringing the total recovered in the 2016 class action to more than $90 million.
Sherwin-Williams and Conagra were ordered to pay over $400 million for lead-paint remediation in California, with ten cities and counties suing the companies for creating a “public nuisance” by promoting lead paint. At trial conclusion, the court held that Sherwin-Williams and two other paint companies created a public nuisance and ordered them to pay jointly and severally $1.15 billion into an abatement fund administered by the State of California.
The United States sued Akzo Nobel Coatings over an 80-acre landfill near Metamora in Lapeer County, Michigan, contaminated with hazardous wastes during its 25-year operation from 1955-1980. The EPA selected a total incineration remedy for buried drums and contaminated soil.
California Air Resources Board fined PPG Industries $299,000 for selling paint thinners and aerosol coating products exceeding state air quality requirements, resulting in 5.42 tons of excess VOC emissions and 2.98 tons of excess ground-level ozone.
Illinois reached a settlement with Monsanto (now part of Bayer) for PCB pollution, with the company having sold almost 50 million pounds of PCB mixtures in Illinois from its Sauget plant, which discharged hazardous waste into sewers contaminating the Mississippi River. PCBs were used in coatings and lubricants for electrical equipment.
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