3M to pay more than $US7b to settle groundwater contamination lawsuit
The chemical manufacturer will pay the money over nine years to as many as 120,000 people who say they were harmed by exposure to PFAS.
3M, a chemical manufacturer, announced on Tuesday that it will pay up to $US7.35 billion over nine years to settle lawsuits from individuals claiming sickness due to groundwater contamination caused by PFAS chemicals. These compounds are found in firefighting foam and various consumer products. The St Paul, Minnesota-based company did not plead guilty to causing the contamination under the settlement.
The settlement covers up to 120,000 people who allege exposure to PFAS, with payments starting at $50 million this year and increasing to over $1 billion per year from 2028 to 2033. PFAS, also known as "forever chemicals" due to their resistance to degradation, have been linked to health issues such as liver and immune system damage, and certain cancers.
3M had previously settled other PFAS-related lawsuits, including a $450 million agreement with the state of New Jersey. Environmental activists criticized the manufacturers for knowing the chemicals' health risks before public awareness, despite their valuable properties in resisting breakdown.
Written by urgent.news from ABC News AU's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
