3M to pay $450M to settle N.J. PFAS suit

New Jersey s attorney general mentioned Tuesday chemical manufacturer M agreed to pay up to million to resolve lawsuits over natural source contamination stemming from PFAS commonly referred to as forever chemicals The settlement is subject to court approval and a general comment period Attorney General Matt Platkin s office announced Maplewood-based M is expected to pay million this year with additional amounts payable over the next years The total amount could reach million Platkin s office revealed Corporate polluters must be held accountable when they contaminate our state s water supply Platkin declared in a announcement PFAS or perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances are a group of chemicals that have been around for decades and have now spread into the nation s air water and soil M noted in it would end all PFAS manufacturing by the end of this year In a comment the company disclosed it s on track to do so This agreement is another significant step toward reducing exposure and uncertainty on these legacy issues allowing M to focus on its strategic priorities M noted PFAS were manufactured by companies such as M Chemours and others because they were incredibly useful They helped eggs slide across non-stick frying pans ensured that firefighting foam suffocates flames and helped clothes withstand rain and keep people dry The chemicals resist latest down though meaning they linger in the context Environmental activists say PFAS makers knew about the wellness harms of PFAS long before they were made inhabitants The same attributes that make the chemicals so valuable resistance to breakdown make them hazardous to people PFAS accumulate in the body which is why the Environmental Protection Agency set their limits for drinking water at parts per trillion for two common types PFOA and PFOS that are phased out of manufacturing but still are present in the ecosystem The New Jersey settlement stems from lawsuits at the nearly -acre Chambers Works site in Pennsville and Carneys Point and another location in Parlin The settlement also resolves all other statewide maintains in litigation over PFAS in firefighting material used in the state The lawsuits alleged the companies involved including M knew about risks from forever chemicals produced at the facilities but continued to sell them The attorney general declared that by agreeing to settle M would not go to trial next week in the Chambers Works event New Jersey s Department of Environmental Protection will use a portion of the settlement funds to protect populace wellbeing safety and the ecosystem from impacts caused by PFAS according to a joint declaration from the attorney general and DEP Commissioner Shawn LaTourette Related Articles M rides domain rally affirms earnings guidance in face of tariffs Work underway on Woodbury s new water restoration plant traffic impacts expected Deal preserves the greater part of M s northern Minnesota corporate retreat opens it for masses use Business People M CEO Bill Brown named chairman amid other board moves