Polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), chemicals that take a very long time to break down in nature, have been linked to cancer, infertility and environmental damage, among other complaints.
On Thursday, US industrial conglomerate 3M said it would pay up to $12.5 billion to settle numerous claims from US public water systems accusing it of tainting their supplies with the pollutants.
Here is a look at the biggest PFAS settlements to date:
- Record US water deal -
3M says it will pay between $10.5 and $12.5 billion over 13 years to public water systems across the United States to test and treat water for PFAS.
The deal, which has to be approved by a judge, is the largest involving drinking water in US history.
It centres on 3M's use of firefighting foams containing PFAS, which are accused of polluting groundwater.
3M, which also produces post-it notes and Covid face masks, said in December that it would stop manufacturing PFAS substances by the end of 2025.
- Dutch, Belgian cases -
In July 2022, 3M agreed to a settlement of 571 million euros ($612 million) with the Belgian region of Flanders over alleged PFAS pollution from its Zwijndrecht plant, near the city of Antwerp.
Flemish authorities released a study showing that people living near the plant had high levels of a type of PFAS in their blood.
In May this year, the government of the neighbouring Netherlands said it would seek compensation from 3M for pollution caused by the same plant in the Western Scheldt river.
Dutch authorities last year warned against eating fish, shrimp, mussels and other products from the river.
- Dupont case -
Just days before the mega-settlement reached by 3M in the United States, US chemicals giant DuPont and its spinoffs Chemours and Corteva announced in early June they would pay nearly $1.2 billion to settle claims they contaminated water sources serving "the vast majority of the United States population" with PFAS.
The 2019 film "Dark Waters" starring Mark Ruffalo, about a class action suit brought by people in west Virginia against DuPont, maker of nylon and teflon, over pollutants in their drinking water, helped raise awareness around PFAS pollution.
DuPont lost the case after a 19-year legal battle.
- Australian military under fire -
Firefighting chemicals were at the heart of a class action suit taken against the Australian government, which it settled in May.
Around 30,000 people claimed that the military's use of firefighting foam containing PFAS had contaminated land around army bases and decreased property values.
They sought Aus$132.7 million (US$88 million) in compensation.
The legal settlement was confidential.
3M to pay up to $12.5 bn to settle 'forever chemicals' litigation: filing
New York (AFP) June 22, 2023 -
US industrial conglomerate 3M said Thursday it will pay as much as $12.5 billion to settle numerous claims from US public water systems that accused the company of tainting their supplies.
Under the proposed settlement, which must be approved by a federal court, 3M would pay to remediate public water systems that have tested positive for so-called "forever chemicals," polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), according to a 3M securities filing.
In exchange for payments of between $10.5 billion and $12.5 billion, plaintiffs in the class action litigation would agree to release 3M from claims over PFAS and any punitive damage awards, 3M said.
The pact also lets 3M terminate the agreement if many eligible class members opt out of the agreement, 3M said.
3M announced in December it would cease by the end of 2025 production of PFAS, which have been linked to increased risk of some cancers and are believed to impede vaccine response in children.
Known for the lengthy amount of time required before they break down and used in Teflon and other goods, PFAS are man-made chemicals produced since the 1940s and now widely present in soil and water as well as in humans, fish and other wildlife.
3M Chief Executive Mike Roman called the agreement "an important step forward for 3M" following the December announcement and recent investments in water filtration technology and other advances.
The settlement "sends a clear message that corporations like 3M must bear the responsibility for the aftermath of the chemicals they produce," said Paul Napoli, a lead counsel in the case for plaintiffs.
"This historic settlement is the largest amount ever paid by a single company to resolve claims involving contaminated drinking water and provides compensation critical to protecting our nation's drinking water supplies and upgrading our water treatment infrastructure to deal with this new threat."
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