3M (Maplewood, MN) has agreed to a tentative settlement of at least $10 billion with a group of U.S. cities and towns who sued the industrial giant for contaminating water supplies with “forever chemicals,” Bloomberg reports.
In a follow-up on the report, Reuters notes how 3M and other chemical companies are the target of more than 4,000 lawsuits filed by local municipalities, state governments and individuals from across the country.
The trial for one of those lawsuits – brought by the City of Stuart in Florida – was scheduled to begin on Monday before the settlement was tentatively agreed to. The judge then delayed the trial and said it would be rescheduled if an official agreement couldn’t be reached in 21 days.
Per Reuters, Stuart claims 3M made or sold firefighting foams containing per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, despite knowing for decades that the chemicals can cause cancer.
In court documents, 3M says PFAS – now commonly referred to as “forever chemicals” on account of their resistance to breaking down in the human body and environment – haven’t been linked with health problems at the levels being discovered in drinking water.
Read more at Reuters.