Multinational conglomerate 3M has announced that a federal court in South Carolina has given final approval to a $10.3 billion settlement with the Mahoning Valley Sanitary District and other U.S. public water suppliers that sued the company over alleged damages from so-called “forever chemicals”.
The agreement will support public water systems that detect per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances that don’t break down in the environment and have been shown to impact growth and development in laboratory animals.
Water systems that detect PFAS at any level now or in the future will benefit, according to 3M.
"This is yet another important step forward for 3M as we continue to deliver on our priorities. The final approval of this settlement and continued progress toward exiting all PFAS manufacturing by the end of 2025 will further our efforts to reduce risk and uncertainty as we move forward," said 3M chairman and CEO Mike Roman.
The Mahoning Valley Sanitary District announced earlier that it will receive part of the settlement money which the District's Chief Engineer said will help pay for a new $40 million water filtration system to provide healthier water to 220,000 homes and businesses throughout the region.
3M says payments under the agreement are scheduled to begin in the third quarter of 2024 and be disbursed over 13 years, provided there are no pending appeals of the final approval order.