Manufacturing giant 3M has agreed to pay up to $12.5 billion to settle hundreds of lawsuits alleging its ‘perpetual chemicals’ contaminated cities’ drinking water.
The settlement reached Thursday will lead to ridding public water systems in the United States of harmful chemicals leaked from the company’s firefighting foam.
Nearly 300 municipalities from Philadelphia to San Diego say PFAS chemicals from firefighting foam have leached into drinking water.
The foam used contains PFAS, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, which have been linked to cancer and other illnesses.
3M’s move to settle the national class action comes as companies in various sectors search for alternatives to PFAS and regulations barring their use.
3M has agreed to pay up to $12.5 billion to settle hundreds of lawsuits
The foam used contains PFAS, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, which have been linked to cancer and other illnesses.
3M has manufactured and used harmful chemicals since the 1940s and used them in firefighter foams since the 1960s.
They are called permanent chemicals because they do not break down in the environment.
PFAS have been used in many everyday items, including water bottles and tape.
Mike Roman, 3M chief executive, called the proposed settlement, which does not include admitting liability, ‘an important step for 3M,’ the Wall Street Journal reported.
Roman also emphasized that the company is investing in water-filtration technology and committed to a commitment to end PFAS production by the end of 2025.
The deal, which would pay 3M between $10.5 billion and $12.5 billion over 13 years, still has to be approved by the courts.
If certain conditions are not met, 3M said it is prepared to defend itself in court.
City attorneys said the settlement will help municipalities and water suppliers across the country upgrade treatment systems to filter out PFOS, a type of PFAS that 3M has used in firefighting foam for decades and has been found in drinking water nationwide.
3M has manufactured and used harmful chemicals since the 1940s and are found in everyday household items, including plastic water bottles.
Tape is one of the household items that contains harmful PFAS chemicals
‘Water is a basic necessity, and by holding 3M liable for PFOS contamination, we are strengthening every American’s right to clean and safe drinking water,’ said Paul Napoli, a lead plaintiff attorney.
More than 4,000 lawsuits involving firefighting foams containing PFAS have been consolidated in federal court in Charleston, SC, and are being overseen by Judge Gargel.
The Environmental Protection Agency proposed the first federal limits on six types of PFAS in drinking water in March.
The move could require water systems serving 94 million people to install expensive treatment systems.
The tentative agreement was announced just three weeks after a judge suspended a bellwether trial between 3M and a Florida city that alleged the company was responsible for the contamination of drinking water.
Judge Richard Gargel in the U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina has given the two sides more time to reach a settlement, and the proposed deal is subject to his approval.
The case, filed in Stewart, Florida, was chosen as a bellwether for water system lawsuits.
The city claims their water system was infiltrated by foam that included chemicals made by 3M for decades.
Stewart sued 3M for $115 million to recover the cost of installing and operating a filtration system over the next 40 years to remove the chemicals and clean up the contaminated soil.
Mike Mortell, Stuart’s city attorney, said he was grateful the two sides were able to reach a resolution.
He added that city officials will hold a meeting on Friday to discuss approving the settlement.
“The city is very pleased that it played a role in solving this problem for all water suppliers,” Mortel said.
3M said that ‘PFAS is manufactured safely and used in many modern products’ and that their decision to stop production of the chemicals by the end of 2025 is due to increased regulations regarding their presence in the environment.
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