3M agrees $7.35 billion PFAS injury settlement

3M has committed $7.35 billion to settle injury claims linked to PFAS, or “forever chemicals”, in firefighting foam it produced, the US conglomerate announced Tuesday.

The company said the settlement addresses about 99 percent of claims in a case before a South Carolina court involving more than 100,000 plaintiffs.

3M said it will make payments over nine years, starting with $50 million in 2026. It said no payment is due next year and that 20 percent of the payments are due in the final two years.

PFAS chemicals have been linked to serious illnesses including cancer and are known as forever chemicals because they persist in the environment.

3M chairman and chief executive William Brown said the settlement “substantially reduces litigation uncertainty”. The company said the agreement is not an admission of liability and that it is prepared to defend itself in litigation if agreed settlement terms are not fulfilled.

A US court in 2024 approved a separate settlement for 3M to pay up to $12.5 billion to public water utilities for PFAS remediation and testing. 3M said it has met its goal of stopping PFAS production by the end of 2025.