TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — The New Jersey Attorney General said Tuesday that chemical maker 3M agreed to pay $450 million to resolve a lawsuit relating to natural resource pollution derived from PFA, commonly referred to as “eternal chemicals.”
The settlement will be subject to court approval and public comment periods, Attorney General Matt Platkin said. The St. Paul, Minnesota-based 3M is expected to pay $285 million this year, with additional payments to come over the next 25 years. The total amount could reach $450 million, according to Platkin’s Office.
“Company polluters must be accountable when contaminating the state’s water supply,” Platkin said in a statement.
PFA, or Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl substances, have been around for decades and are now a group of chemicals that have spread across the country’s air, water and soil.
3M said in 2022 that it would end all PFA production by the end of this year. In a statement, the company said it was on track to do so.
“This agreement is another important step to mitigate risk and uncertainty over these legacy issues, ensuring 3M can focus on strategic priorities,” said 3M.
PFA was manufactured by companies such as 3M, Chemours, because it was very convenient. They helped eggs slip across the nonstick frying pan, ensured that firefighters bubbles choked the flames, helped clothes withstand the rain, and kept people dry.
However, chemicals break and break. That is, it remains in the environment.
Environmental activists say they knew about the health hazards of PFA long before the PFAS makers were made public. The same attributes that make chemicals extremely valuable – resistance to failure – are at risk to people.
PFA accumulates in the body. Therefore, the Environmental Protection Agency has set a limit of four parts drinking water per 4 trillion units for two common types (PFOA and PFO) that exist in the environment, although production is in stages.
The New Jersey settlement comes from a 2019 lawsuit at the nearly 1,500-acre Chambers Works site in Pennsville and Carneys Point, as well as elsewhere in Perlin. The settlement also settles all other statewide claims in lawsuits against PFA for fire material used by the state.
The lawsuit alleges that 3M involved companies, including the company, were aware of the risks of Forever Chemicals produced at the facility, but continued to sell them.
The Attorney General said that by agreeing to settle 3M, he will not be able to go to trial in a Chambers Works case next week.
The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection will use part of the Settlement Fund to protect public health, safety and the environment from the impact of PFAS, according to a joint statement by Attorney General and DEP Commissioner Sean Latourette.
Original issue: May 13, 2025, 7:26pm EDT
