New Jersey is set to receive as much as $2.5 billion from a settlement with DuPont and 3M over environmental damages linked to PFAS chemicals.
It's one of the biggest moves the state has made to hold major companies responsible for decades of chemical contamination.
What happened?
According to The Philadelphia Inquirer, a long-running case over toxic "forever chemicals" that have endangered water systems and natural resources statewide is coming to a close.
The outlet noted that the initial PFAS contamination lawsuit was filed in New Jersey in 2019, and Chief U.S. District Judge Renée Marie Bumb has now approved settlements that end the years-long legal battle.
The agreements had previously faced objections from counties, municipalities, and others over how the money would be structured and distributed.
The Inquirer reported that, under the order, 3M will put between $400 million and $450 million, and DuPont and related companies will contribute another $875 million over 25 years, into funds intended to restore natural resources and address damage to drinking water systems.
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The outlet noted that DuPont entities have another $1.2 billion in remediation commitments, pushing the total value of the settlements to as much as $2.5 billion.
Why does it matter?
PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, have been used in the United States since the 1940s in household, consumer, and industrial products. The chemicals have gained widespread criticism from experts for being extremely difficult to break down in the environment and in the body.
That persistence is why PFAS are often called forever chemicals. Once released, they can remain in soil and waterways for years, increasing the likelihood that they end up in the drinking water supplies people rely on every day.
The World Health Organization labeled PFAS likely carcinogens in 2023, the Inquirer reported, and health experts have linked them to high cholesterol, fetal developmental issues, and other health problems.
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In New Jersey, state officials said 3M sold a significant share of PFAS-containing firefighting foam used at military sites, firefighter training academies, state agencies, and local fire departments.
What's being done?
The state will receive the settlement money through yearly payments instead of a single lump sum. Spread across 25 years, those payments are expected to support natural resource restoration and work connected to drinking water contamination.
DuPont's separate remediation obligations require cleanup commitments at specific locations. In contamination cases, writing a check does not automatically stop pollution from moving through soil or groundwater.
According to the Inquirer, Ed Potosnak, acting commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, said in a news release, "This is truly a historic moment for New Jersey, which has experienced disproportionate and extensive pollution impacts from decades of PFAS manufacturing and use by DuPont and 3M."
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