3M reaches more than $7 billion settlement over claims tied to 'forever chemical' water pollution

3M has agreed to pay as much as $7.35 billion to resolve lawsuits over groundwater contamination linked to potentially harmful chemicals in firefighting foam and other products

Chemical manufacturer 3M plans to pay up to $7.35 billion to settle claims from people who say they were made ill by contaminated groundwater tied to compounds used in firefighting foam and other consumer products.

The St. Paul, Minnesota-based company said the deal was announced Tuesday. The money would be paid out over nine years to as many as 120,000 people who claim harm from exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS. Those chemicals polluted groundwater near military bases, airports and other sites where the foam was used to put out fires.

3M did not admit any liability as part of the agreement.

PFAS are often called “forever chemicals” because they do not naturally break down in the environment. They have been associated with health problems such as liver damage, immune system damage and certain cancers. The chemicals are also used in products designed to resist water, grease and sticking, including clothing and cookware.

3M chairman William Brown described the settlement as a “significant milestone” that sharply reduces uncertainty tied to the litigation. The company has already settled other PFAS-related cases, including a $450 million deal with New Jersey over natural resource contamination and an agreement worth more than $10 billion with many U.S. public drinking water systems.

Other companies, including DuPont de Nemours Inc. and the spinoffs Chemours Co. and Corteva Inc., have also agreed to settlements totaling more than $1 billion to resolve PFAS claims.

Fred Thompson, an attorney with the Motley Rice law firm that helped negotiate the settlement for the plaintiffs, said it was welcome news for “the thousands of victims who have sought answers and accountability for nearly a decade.”

He said in a news release that the plaintiffs urgently need help paying rising medical bills and other expenses.

Under the settlement terms, payments will start with $50 million in the first year, followed by annual payments of more than $1 billion from 2028 through 2033.

3M could be required to make additional payments if enough plaintiffs join the deal. If too few sign on, the company can withdraw from the settlement and keep fighting the case.

Environmental activists say PFAS manufacturers knew about the health risks long before the issue became public. They argue that the same properties that make the chemicals useful in many products — their resistance to breaking down — also make them dangerous to people.

The Environmental Protection Agency has imposed strict PFAS limits on public drinking water and requires testing, but those rules do not cover private wells.

A study that would help federal regulators identify which industries discharge the forever chemicals in wastewater has been delayed for two years while awaiting review by the White House Office of Management and Budget.