3M will pay up to $450 million for drinking-water contamination from ‘forever chemicals’
The public prosecutor in New Jersey said that the chemical manufacturer on Tuesday agreed to pay 450 million dollars to resolve propaganda claims to pollute the natural resources caused by PFAs – which is usually referred to as “chemicals forever.”
The Prosecutor’s Office, Matt Platin, said that the settlement is subject to the approval of the court and a period of public suspension. Saint -Paul, Minnesota, based in Minnesota, is expected to pay $ 285 million this year, with additional amounts for the next 25 years. Platin’s office said the total amount may reach 450 million dollars.
“The pollutants of companies must bear responsibility when they feeding water supplies in our state,” Platin said in a statement.
PFAS, or Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl, is a group of chemicals that have been present for decades and now spread in the air, water and soil in the country.
3M said in 2022 that it would end all PFAs manufacturing by the end of this year. In a statement, the company said it was on the right path to do so.
3M said: “This agreement is another important step towards reducing risks and uncertainty about these old issues, allowing 3M to focus on its strategic priorities,” 3M said.
PFAS is manufactured by companies such as 3M, Chemours and others because it was incredibly beneficial. They helped eggs slip through non -stick frying ponds, ensuring that firefighting foam suffocates fire and helped clothes in the face of rain and keep people dry.
Chemicals resist collapse, and this means that they are still in the environment.
Environmental activists say that PFAS manufacturers knew the health damage of PFAS long before they were announced. The same features that make chemicals of great value – resistance to collapse – make them dangerous to people.
PFAS accumulates in the body, which is why the Environmental Protection Agency has set its boundaries for drinking water in 4 parts per trillion for two common types – PFOA and PFOS – which are trained from manufacturing but still present in the environment.
The New Jersey settlement from the 2019 lawsuit stems from the 1500 -acre rooms site (607 hectares) in Pensville, Carnene’s Point and another site in Barlene. The settlement also replaces all other state claims in the PFAs litigation in fire control materials used in the state.
The lawsuits claimed that the relevant companies, including 3M, were aware of the risks of chemicals forever that were produced in the facilities but continued to sell them.
The Public Prosecutor said that with the approval of a 3M settlement, he would not go to the trial next week in the case of Chambers.
The Ministry of Environmental Protection in New Jersey will use part of the settlement funds “Public Health Protection, Safety and Environment from the effects of PFAs”, according to a joint statement issued by the Public Prosecutor and Delegor of the Sean Latorerit.
This story was originally shown on Fortune.com
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2025-05-13 21:03:00
