3M reaches $10.3B settlement in 'forever chemicals' water contamination lawsuit
The agreement is with public water suppliers nationwide that accused the giant manufacturer of contaminating drinking water due to long-lasting chemicals found in everyday products.
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A new study shows that leading manufacturers knew about the toxicity of “forever chemicals” and intentionally kept the information from the public.
June 23 (UPI) -- U.S. chemical and manufacturing behemoth 3M has reached a $10.3 billion settlement with public water suppliers nationwide that accused it of contaminating drinking water with so-called forever chemicals.
The settlement, pending court approval, was announced by the company in a statement Thursday that said the agreement resolves current and future drinking water claims by public water suppliers concerning drinking water contamination.
The settlement amount is payable over 13 years and will go toward treatment, testing and clean up of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, which are known as PFAS.
These so-called forever chemicals are long lasting and ingredients found in everyday products from cookware to firefighting foam, according to the National Institute of Environmental Health and Sciences.
The logo for 3M appears on a screen above the trading floor of the New York Stock Exchange, Oct. 24, 2017. The U.S. chemical and manufacturing behemoth has reached a $10.3 billion settlement with public water suppliers nationwide that accused it of contaminating drinking water with so-called forever chemicals. (AP Photo/Richard Drew, File)
3M Chairman and CEO Mike Roman described the settlement as "an important step forward" for his company that "builds on our actions that include our announced exit of PFOA and PFOS manufacturing more than 20 years ago."
The company added that the agreement is not an admission of liability.
Among the allegations the settlement resolves is a lawsuit that was filed against 3M and other companies, such as DuPont, by the city of Stuart, Florida, in 2018 after it learned its water supply was contaminated with PFAS, which are associated with elevated health risks, including for cancers.
A water researcher pours a water sample into a smaller glass container for experimentation as part of drinking water and PFAS research at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Center For Environmental Solutions and Emergency Response on Feb. 16, 2023, in Cincinnati. The 3M chemical company announced Thursday, June, 22, 2023 a $10.3 billion settlement with U.S. water utilities and agencies over PFAS pollution that will allow them to test and treat drinking water contaminated with these “forever chemicals. (AP Photo/Joshua A. Bickel, File)
The city deduced that the contamination was linked to the regular use of firefighting foam by the city's fire station during training exercises.
Since then, more than 4,000 states and municipalities have joined the lawsuit.
The case was to be presented to a jury in a South Carolina federal courtroom earlier this month, but a judge June 5 ordered a three-week postponement to the start of the trial as the two sides were working on a settlement.
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