Court approves 3M settlement over 'forever chemicals' in public drinking water systems

Source: Associated Press

Court approves 3M settlement over ‘forever chemicals’ in public drinking water systems

BY JIM SALTER
Updated 4:17 PM EDT, April 1, 2024

Chemical manufacturer 3M will begin payments starting in the third quarter to many U.S. public drinking water systems as part of a multi-billion-dollar settlement over contamination with potentially harmful compounds used in firefighting foam and several consumer products, the company said.

St. Paul, Minnesota-based 3M announced Monday that last year’s lawsuit settlement received final approval from the U.S. District Court in Charleston, South Carolina.

The agreement called for payouts through 2036. Depending on what additional contamination is found, the amount paid out will range from $10.5 billion to $12.5 billion.

“This is yet another important step forward for 3M as we continue to deliver on our priorities. The final approval of this settlement and continued progress toward exiting all PFAS manufacturing by the end of 2025 will further our efforts to reduce risk and uncertainty as we move forward,” 3M’s chairman and CEO, Mike Roman, said in a news release.

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Read more: https://apnews.com/article/pfas-drinking-water-settlement-3m-fa41cadfe0d65b9723377a681df43af1