By Michael Bartlett on July 10th, 2023 in News
On June 22, 2023, a $12.5 billion settlement with the 3M Company in the ongoing multidistrict litigation over the contamination of drinking water with PFAS resulting from the widespread use of AFFF was achieved. Under the terms of the agreement, the manufacturers of AFFF acknowledge their role in the PFAS contamination crisis.
This historic class action settlement agreement was reached and resolves the claims of Public Water Systems nationwide that have been impacted by actual or threatened contamination of their water systems with PFAS. It is the largest amount ever paid by a single company to resolve claims involving contaminated drinking water and provides financial compensation essential to protecting our country's drinking water supplies and upgrading our water treatment infrastructure to deal with this new threat.
This proposed class settlement is the result of many months of negotiations between the parties and comes on the heels of a $1.185 billion class settlement with DuPont, Chemours, and Corteva announced a few weeks ago. The settlement with the 3M Company is subject to approval by Judge Richard M. Gergel, who was assigned in the winter of 2018 to oversee the ongoing multidistrict litigation proceedings in the U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina. Furthermore, the material terms with defendants DuPont, Chemours, and Corteva regarding their responsibility for the PFAS contamination of public water systems and the associated costs of treatment have been successfully settled.
Under the terms of the agreement, the manufacturers of AFFF acknowledge their role in the PFAS contamination crisis and must provide financial compensation for the cost of treatment necessary to address the contamination their toxic chemicals caused. The terms of this historic $1.185 billion agreement are being finalized. This agreement serves as a crucial step towards holding these companies accountable for their actions and obtaining compensation for impacted water utilities and communities across the country. The settlement with DuPont, Chemours, and Corteva symbolizes their unspoken acceptance of their part in the PFAS pollution crisis. They are now obligated to financially compensate for the necessary remediation required to address the pollution caused by their persistent chemicals.
Dupont and other companies continue to face significant liabilities for the personal injuries and cancer they have caused to numerous Americans, including firefighters and military personnel who developed cancer, property damage claims from homeowners, and other municipal resources they have harmed, such as airports, fire training centers, and wastewater treatment facilities. As the terms of the monumental $1.185 billion agreement are finalized, the trial against the remaining defendants, including 3M, was slated to commence in Charleston, South Carolina, on June 5, 2023.
Since 1990, we have been pursuing financial compensation for toxic exposure victims, and we are determined to provide you with quality legal assistance. If you intend to join the PFAS lawsuit we encourage you to contact our resourceful attorneys, who will gladly help you obtain the money necessary for the cleanup of these highly toxic chemicals from your drinking water system.
Any public water system that has a detectable PFAS concentration is allowed to participate in the settlement. Drinking water utilities might be entitled to a piece of over $12.5 billion as part of a tentative settlement with chemical giant 3M for its role in "forever chemicals" contaminating drinking water nationwide. To find out if you are eligible, contact our diligent attorneys today.