3M agrees to pay more than $7 billion to settle 'forever chemical'
groundwater contamination claims
[November 05, 2026] By
REBECCA BOONE
Chemical manufacturer 3M will pay up to $7.35 billion to settle lawsuits
by people who say they were sickened by groundwater contamination from
compounds used in firefighting foam and other consumer products.
The St. Paul, Minnesota-based company announced the settlement Tuesday.
It will pay the money over nine years to as many as 120,000 people who
say they were harmed by exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances,
known collectively as PFAS. The chemicals contaminated groundwater near
military bases, airports and other locations where the foam was used to
extinguish fires.
3M did not admit liability for the contamination under the agreement.
Called “forever chemicals” because they don’t degrade naturally in the
environment, PFAS have been linked to health problems including liver
and immune system damage and some cancers. The chemicals are also used
in nonstick, water- and grease-resistant products, including clothing
and cookware.
3M chairman William Brown called the settlement a “significant
milestone” that substantially reduces uncertainty from the litigation.
The company previously reached settlements in other PFAS-related
lawsuits, including a $450 million agreement with the state of New
Jersey to settle claims of natural resource contamination and a deal to
pay more than $10 billion to many U.S. public drinking water systems.
Other manufacturers, including DuPont de Nemours Inc. and spinoffs
Chemours Co. and Corteva Inc., have agreed to settlements totaling more
than $1 billion to resolve PFAS claims.
Fred Thompson, an attorney with the Motley Rice law firm that helped
negotiate the 3M settlement for the plaintiffs, called it welcome news
for “the thousands of victims who have sought answers and accountability
for nearly a decade.”
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The 3M chemical manufacturer's building in a suburb of Sydney on May
28, 2026. (AP Photo/Mark Baker, File)
 He said in a news release that the
plaintiffs urgently need help covering mounting medical bills and
other costs.
Under the terms of the settlement, the payouts will begin with $50
million this year, followed by yearly payments of more than $1
billion each year from 2028 to 2033.
3M could make additional payments if enough plaintiffs participate.
If too few sign on, 3M has the option to cancel the settlement and
continue fighting the lawsuit.
Environmental activists say PFAS manufacturers knew about the
chemicals' health risks long before they became public. They noted
that the same attributes that make the chemicals so valuable in many
uses — resistance to breakdown — also make them hazardous to people.
The Environmental Protection Agency has set strict limits on PFAS in
drinking water from public utilities and requires testing, but those
rules do not apply to private wells.
A study that would help federal regulators understand which
industries dump the forever chemicals with their wastewater has been
stalled for two years, awaiting review by the White House Office of
Management and Budget.
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