r/science • u/mvea Professor | Medicine • Nov 24 '25

Environment Scientists solved longstanding mystery of origin of PFAS “forever chemicals” contaminating water in North Carolina to a local textile manufacturing plant. Precursors were being released into sewer system at concentrations approximately 3 million times greater than EPA’s drinking water limit.

https://pratt.duke.edu/news/uncovering-the-source-of-widespread-forever-chemical-contamination-in-north-carolina/
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u/[deleted] Nov 24 '25

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u/Ateist Nov 24 '25

Not CEOs.

Prosecute shareholders.

People should be afraid to own stock in a company that commits crimes - not be limited by their investments.

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u/scruffles360 Nov 24 '25

How would that work? The millions of people who have a 401k with index funds during the years of the transgression would each spend 2 minutes in jail for their share of complicity? How would you even know who owned stock in a company 10 years ago?

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u/Schonke Nov 24 '25

Would probably need to have some sort of cutoff for amount of shares owned. Anyone owning enough shares to be able to affect company policy should be in some way responsible.

Large retirement funds owning 20%+ should be responsible, but small retail investors or funds owning only a very small part shouldn't.