A corporate giant has agreed to fork over nearly half a billion dollars to New Jersey, settling years of accusations that it contaminated drinking water across the state with dangerous, long-lasting chemicals.
On Tuesday, New Jersey officials announced that 3M will pay up to $450 million to resolve two major environmental cases involving “forever chemicals,” a nickname for PFAS — synthetic compounds that don’t break down easily and have been linked to serious health concerns, including cancer.
Attorney General Matthew Platkin and environmental chief Shawn LaTourette described the agreement as a major win for public health and environmental justice. The deal, still awaiting public feedback and court approval, would end lawsuits dating back to 2019 that alleged 3M played a central role in tainting sites in Deepwater and Parlin, where PFAS were heavily used or supplied.
The Deepwater facility, a sprawling industrial complex now operated by Chemours but formerly run by DuPont, used PFAS supplied by 3M until the early 2000s. Though 3M will now avoid going to trial over the contamination at that site, other companies, including DuPont and Chemours, remain entangled in ongoing legal battles.
A separate part of the deal also wraps up New Jersey’s claims that PFAS-laden firefighting foams distributed by 3M polluted water sources across the state.
“These chemicals don’t go away — and neither should the responsibility of the corporations that created them,” Platkin said on Tuesday. He emphasized that New Jerseyans deserve clean, safe drinking water and that companies must be held accountable when they fail to protect it.
Under the settlement terms, 3M will pay up to $325 million to the state by 2034, with an additional $125 million in installments by 2050.
While the company claims it’s not admitting wrongdoing, it says the agreement helps resolve lingering legal threats and allows it to shift focus. 3M added that it ceased making PFAS back in 2000 and plans to completely exit that business by the end of this year.
If the court rejects the deal, 3M says it’s ready to defend itself in future litigation.
PFAS chemicals, widely used since the 1950s in everything from nonstick pans to water-resistant fabrics, have become a major environmental concern nationwide. Their durability, once seen as an advantage, now poses a serious risk — especially when they seep into drinking water.
With this agreement, New Jersey positions itself as one of the most aggressive states in pursuing corporate accountability for PFAS pollution.
The New Jersey Digest is a new jersey magazine that has chronicled daily life in the Garden State for over 10 years.