3M reaches $10.3B settlement in 'forever chemicals' water contamination lawsuit

June 23 (UPI) -- U.S. chemical and manufacturing behemoth 3M has reached a $10.3 billion settlement with public water suppliers nationwide that accused it of contaminating drinking water with so-called forever chemicals.

The settlement, pending court approval, was announced by the company in a statement Thursday that said the agreement resolves current and future drinking water claims by public water suppliers concerning drinking water contamination.

The settlement amount is payable over 13 years and will go toward treatment, testing and clean up of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, which are known as PFAS.

These so-called forever chemicals are long lasting and ingredients found in everyday products from cookware to firefighting foam, according to the National Institute of Environmental Health and Sciences.

3M Chairman and CEO Mike Roman described the settlement as "an important step forward" for his company that "builds on our actions that include our announced exit of PFOA and PFOS manufacturing more than 20 years ago."

The company added that the agreement is not an admission of liability.

Among the allegations the settlement resolves is a lawsuit that was filed against 3M and other companies, such as DuPont, by the city of Stuart, Fla., in 2018 after it learned its water supply was contaminated with PFAS, which are associated with elevated health risks, including for cancers.

The city deduced that the contamination was linked to the regular use of firefighting foam by the city's fire station during training exercises.

Since then, more than 4,000 states and municipalities have joined the lawsuit.

The case was to be presented to a jury in a South Carolina federal courtroom earlier this month, but a judge June 5 ordered a three-week postponement to the start of the trial as the two sides were working on a settlement.