PFAS Litigation Firm Targets Aviation Sector at Legal Conference Amid Broader Industrial Contamination Concerns

National plaintiffs' law firm Milberg PLLC has announced that its environmental litigation team will attend the 2026 ACI-NA Legal Affairs Conference in Coronado, California, from May 18–21, where attorneys will meet with airport legal professionals to discuss liability and recovery options related to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) contamination. According to a PR Newswire release, the firm is specifically targeting claims arising from the use of aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF), a firefighting suppressant widely deployed across aviation, military, and industrial facilities for decades before its environmental and health risks became widely understood. While the conference focuses on airport operators, the PFAS litigation wave carries direct relevance for the maritime industry. Ports, shipyards, and vessel operators have long relied on AFFF for fire suppression — particularly in engine rooms, cargo holds, and fuel handling areas — placing them in a similar position of potential environmental liability as airports now facing legal scrutiny. PFAS compounds, sometimes called 'forever chemicals' due to their persistence in the environment and human tissue, have been linked to a range of serious health conditions. Regulatory pressure from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has intensified in recent years, with the agency moving to establish enforceable drinking water limits for several PFAS compounds and designating certain substances as hazardous under the Superfund law. For maritime facility operators, the expansion of PFAS litigation into the aviation sector signals a broader legal reckoning that may accelerate similar claims against ports and marine terminals. Facilities that stored, used, or disposed of AFFF — or that sit adjacent to contaminated groundwater plumes — could face mounting pressure from both regulators and plaintiffs' attorneys in the coming years. Industry observers note that proactive environmental assessments and early engagement with legal counsel are increasingly advisable for port authorities and shipyard operators seeking to understand their exposure before litigation reaches their sector at scale. Milberg PLLC has positioned itself as a leading firm in PFAS-related environmental recovery actions, representing municipalities, water utilities, and now aviation entities in claims against AFFF manufacturers.