3M to Pay Up to $7.35 Billion to Resolve PFAS Water Pollution Claims

The deal is expected to address claims from about 120,000 people exposed to PFAS, the so-called "forever chemicals," near military installations and airports.

Chemical maker 3M said it will pay as much as $7.35 billion to settle lawsuits filed by people who allege they were harmed by groundwater contamination tied to compounds used in firefighting foam and other consumer goods.

The St. Paul, Minnesota-based company announced the agreement on Tuesday. The payments will be spread over nine years and could go to as many as 120,000 people who say they were exposed to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS. Those chemicals were found in groundwater near military bases, airports and other places where firefighting foam was used.

3M did not admit wrongdoing under the settlement.

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

3M chairman William Brown described the settlement as a “significant milestone” that greatly reduces uncertainty tied to the litigation. The company has already resolved other PFAS-related cases, including a $450 million agreement with New Jersey over alleged natural resource damage and a separate deal worth more than $10 billion for 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 settle PFAS claims.

Fred Thompson, a lawyer with Motley Rice who helped negotiate the settlement for the plaintiffs, called it welcome relief for “the thousands of victims who have sought answers and accountability for nearly a decade.”

In a statement, he said the plaintiffs need urgent help with growing medical bills and other expenses.

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

3M may be required to make extra payments if enough plaintiffs join the deal. If too few participate, the company can walk away from the settlement and keep fighting the case.

Environmental advocates say PFAS makers were aware of the health risks long before the public learned about them. They point out that the same qualities that make the chemicals useful, especially their resistance to breaking down, also make them dangerous to people.

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

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

Boone reported from Boise, Idaho.