3M agrees to pay more than $7 billion to settle 'forever chemical' groundwater contamination claims
3M has agreed to pay up to $7.35 billion to settle lawsuits over groundwater contamination from potentially harmful chemicals in firefighting foam and other products. 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. This settlement covers the vast majority of outstanding personal injury claims against 3M.
Listen to Live Briefing
Real-time synthesized voice briefing · Live Feeds Desk
- ✓ 3M agrees to pay up to $7.35 billion to settle lawsuits over groundwater contamination from potentially harmful chemicals.
- ✓ 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.
- ✓ This settlement covers the vast majority of outstanding personal injury claims against 3M.
What changed
3M announced a settlement of $7.35 billion to resolve claims related to 'forever chemical' groundwater contamination.
Live updates
-
3M agrees to pay $7.35 billion to settle 'forever chemical' claims
3M has agreed to pay up to $7.35 billion to settle lawsuits over groundwater contamination from potentially harmful chemicals in firefighting foam and other products. 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. This settlement covers the vast majority of outstanding personal injury claims against 3M.
Why it matters
The 'forever chemicals' in question, known as PFAS, have been linked to various health problems. 3M's products containing PFAS have been used in firefighting foam and other applications, leading to widespread groundwater contamination. This settlement is a significant development in the ongoing litigation over PFAS contamination.
What is confirmed
- 3M agrees to pay up to $7.35 billion to settle lawsuits over groundwater contamination from potentially harmful chemicals.
- 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.
- This settlement covers the vast majority of outstanding personal injury claims against 3M.
What to watch next
- The exact timeline for the payments to be made to claimants
- The final number of claimants who will receive payments
- Any potential future litigation related to PFAS contamination
confidence 100%Sources used for this update (9)
- www.chicagotribune.com — Years later, migrants bused into Oak Park area still living in limbo – Chicago Tribune
- AP News — 3M agrees to pay more than $7 billion to settle 'forever chemical' groundwater contamination claims
- Innovation News Network — 3M agrees to $7.35bn settlement over PFAS exposure claims
- MPR News — 3M to pay $7B to settle claims over ‘forever chemicals’ in firefighting foam
- Fall River Herald News — 3M settles PFAS cancer lawsuits for $7.3B. How it's touched Fall River
- Post and Courier — Motley Rice reaches settlement on PFAS litigation
- abcnews.com — 3M agrees to $7B settlement over 'forever chemical ...
- www.abc.net.au — 3M agrees to pay billions to settle 'forever chemical ...
- finance.yahoo.com — 3M settles chemical contamination claims for $7.35 billion ...
Community Sentiment: How do you assess this situation?
Voice your perspective · Real-time aggregated sentiment from the Live Feeds community