New Jersey says chemical maker 3M agrees to 'forever chemical'
settlement worth up to $450M
[May 14, 2025]
TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — New Jersey's attorney general said Tuesday chemical
manufacturer 3M agreed to pay up $450 million to resolve lawsuits over
natural resource contamination stemming from PFAS — commonly referred to
as “forever chemicals.”
The settlement is subject to court approval and a public comment period,
Attorney General Matt Platkin's office said. St. Paul, Minnesota-based
3M is expected to pay $285 million this year, with additional amounts
payable over the next 25 years. The total amount could reach $450
million, Platkin's office said.
“Corporate polluters must be held accountable when they contaminate our
state’s water supply," Platkin said in a statement.
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.
3M said in 2022 it would end all PFAS manufacturing by the end of this
year. In a statement, the company said it's on track to do so.
“This agreement is another important step toward reducing risk and
uncertainty on these legacy issues, allowing 3M to focus on its
strategic priorities,” 3M said.
PFAS were manufactured by companies such as 3M, 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 breaking down, though, meaning they linger in the
environment.
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This undated photo shows 3M in St. Paul, Minn. (Marlin Levison/Star
Tribune via AP, file)
 Environmental activists say PFAS
makers knew about the health harms of PFAS long before they were
made public. 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 4 parts per
trillion for two common types — PFOA and PFOS — that are phased out
of manufacturing but still are present in the environment.
The New Jersey settlement stems from 2019 lawsuits at the nearly
1,500-acre (607-hectare) Chambers Works site in Pennsville and
Carneys Point and another location in Parlin. The settlement also
resolves all other statewide claims in litigation over PFAS in
firefighting material used in the state.
The lawsuits alleged the companies involved, including 3M, knew
about risks from forever chemicals produced at the facilities but
continued to sell them.
The attorney general said that by agreeing to settle 3M would not go
to trial next week in the Chambers Works case.
New Jersey's Department of Environmental Protection will use a
portion of the settlement funds to “protect public health, safety
and the environment from impacts caused by PFAS,” according to a
joint statement from the attorney general and DEP Commissioner Shawn
LaTourette.
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