3M to Pay New Jersey Up to $450 Million for Drinking-Water Contamination

3M is ready to pay New Jersey up to $ 450 million during the next quarter to resolve the statements that contaminated the State with “chemicals forever” harmful, or PFA, which affect drinking water.

The giant of chemicals based in Minnesota manufactured the PFA, which were used for decades at the Chambers Works facilities in Deepwater, NJ, a complex of almost 1,500 acres on the banks of the Delaware river. The site was owned by Dupont, a rival company.

It is the largest clean water settlement in the history of New Jersey, the state said. New Jersey sued 3M, Dupont and other PFA manufacturers in 2019, saying that the installation had contaminated drinking water.

PFA, or PERS and polyfluoroalquilo substances are used in a variety of everyday products such as antiatrating kitchen utensils, water clothing and stains -resistant carpets. Exposure to chemicals has been linked to metabolic disorders, the decrease in fertility in women and development delays in children, as well as a greater risk of some prostate, renal and testicular cancers.

According to the agreement announced on Tuesday, 3M will pay New Jersey between $ 400 million and $ 450 million in 25 years to pay the damage, as well as the cleaning and drinking water treatment.

Dupont and his chemical of Spin -off, which now has the installation of chambers work, were not part of the agreement, said New Jersey. The remaining parts are expected to prove in the case. Dupont declined to comment.

“Corporate contaminators must be responsible for the heroes when they pollute the water supply of our state,” said New Jersey Attorney Matthew J. Pathin, in a statement. “For decades, 3M knew that their chemicals of PFAS were forever contaminating the New Jersey environment. But they continued to contaminate the environment and escape responsibility,” he said. “That ends now.”

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, the Chambers Works Installation once manufactured a manufactured gunpowder, as well as radiological material, and contributed to the development of the atomic bomb. More recently it manufactured a variety of chemicals, including PFA.

Shawn M. Latourette, Commissioner for the Protection of the Environment of New Jersey, said that pollution in the state went far beyond drinking water. “We found PFA everywhere in the state of New Jersey, the waves of the landfills and only in the soils of the remote forests of New Jersey distant that should be impeccable,” he said.

New Jersey is the second known state to settle with 3 million on claims of contamination of drinking water from PFAS. In 2018, 3M Eggreed to pay Minnesota $ 850 million for contaminating drinking water and natural resources in the Metropolitan area of ​​Twin Cities.

In 2023, 3M also reached a national agreement with public water suppliers for up to $ 12.5 billion to address contamination by PFAS in drinking water.

3M said the agreement was an “important step to reduce risk and uncertainty” around the historical contamination of PFA. The company said in 2000 that it was voluntarily eliminating the production of two main types of PFA, and has said that it is on its way to suspend all the manufacture of PFA by 2025.

The company said the agreement was not equivalent to an admission of guilt. It is a tax charge of $ 285 million in the second quarter.

The EPA was expected to be expected to indicate this week if it intends to stay in strict PFA drinking water standards established by the Biden administration last year, which would require water services but eliminate six different types of PFA from its water supply.

Chemical companies and public services sued the agency for movement. The Trump administration should say on Monday if it would continue to defend the standards in the Court. Instead, he requested an extension of 21 days to decide on his planned course of action.