Chemical manufacturer 3M Co. will pay at least $10.3 billion to settle lawsuits regarding contamination of U.S. public drinking water systems with harmful chemicals.
Settlement details: The deal compensates water providers for pollution with per- and polyfluorinated substances (PFAS), which are linked to health problems.
* PFAS are used in nonstick, water- and grease-resistant products such as clothing and cookware.
* The settlement will be paid over 13 years and could reach as high as $12.5 billion.
* 3M will halt all PFAS production by the end of 2025.
Impact on public health: The payment will help cover costs of filtering PFAS from systems where it’s been detected and testing others.
* Millions of Americans will have healthier lives without PFAS in their drinking water, said attorney Scott Summy.
More to the story: Earlier this month, DuPont de Nemours Inc. and spinoffs Chemours Co. and Corteva Inc. reached a $1.18 billion deal to resolve PFAS complaints by about 300 drinking water providers.
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