3M Agrees to Pay $7.35 Billion to Resolve Firefighting Foam Injury Claims

Manufacturing giant 3M has agreed to pay billions of dollars to settle most personal injury claims connected to so-called “forever chemicals” in firefighting foam.

The company said it will commit $7.35 billion over nine years, with a present value of $5.8 billion, to resolve claims in the Aqueous Film-Forming Foam (AFFF) multidistrict litigation in federal court in South Carolina.

Known as PFAS, these chemicals persist in the environment rather than breaking down and have been linked to health concerns, including cancer, according to The Hill.

3M said the agreement covers about 99% of current personal injury claims both inside and outside the multidistrict litigation and applies to roughly 115,000 to 120,000 eligible plaintiffs.

The payment schedule includes $50 million in 2026, no payment in 2027, and about 20% of the total due in the final two years.

The overall figure also includes a $680 million reserve fund for remaining and future claims.

3M chairman and CEO William Brown said:

“This settlement is a significant milestone for 3M and substantially reduces litigation uncertainty. Following our 2023 resolution with U.S. public water suppliers and our more recent settlement with the State of New Jersey, this is another important step in managing legacy PFAS matters.”

3M denies liability in the PFAS cases and says the agreement does not amount to an admission of wrongdoing.

Motley Rice attorneys Fred Thompson and David Hoyle said in a statement:

“For the thousands of victims who have sought answers and accountability for nearly a decade, 3M’s $7.35 billion settlement is welcome news.”

Separately, 3M reached a settlement with public water systems worth more than $10 billion in 2023.