TRENTON, New Jersey, May 28, 2025 (ENS) – The State of New Jersey has announced a landmark $450 million settlement with the 3M manufacturing company to resolve damages to the state’s natural resources from PFAS, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, commonly called forever chemicals because they persist and accumulate in the environment, creating what one state official called “a toxic mess.”
Making the announcement earlier this month, New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin and Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Shawn LaTourette said the agreement is the largest statewide PFAS settlement in New Jersey history and one of the first statewide settlements ever agreed to by Minnesota-based 3M over PFAS liability.
“Corporate polluters must be held accountable when they contaminate our state’s water supply. For decades, 3M knew that their PFAS chemicals were forever contaminating the New Jersey environment. But they continued to pollute the environment and escape accountability. That ends now,” said the attorney general.
PFAS are a group of thousands of chemicals that create water-repellent, stain-resistant, or nonstick surfaces, but they are classified as likely carcinogens. Research has shown that exposure to these chemicals can cause kidney, liver, and testicular cancer, as well as autoimmune and endocrine disorders in adults, as well as immune system suppression. PFAS have been linked to developmental issues affecting fetuses during pregnancy and infants who breastfeed.
During the years 2005 through 2013, the C8 Science Panel found probable links between PFOA exposure and thyroid disease, higher cholesterol levels, kidney and testicular cancer, ulcerative colitis, and pregnancy-induced hypertension. Other research on various PFAS has found links to metabolic changes in children, as well as liver damage and kidney disease.
Humans are exposed through many pathways. In 2022, testing of more than 100 food packaging products from U.S. restaurants and supermarkets by Consumer Reports found PFAS chemicals in paper bags for french fries, wrappers for hamburgers, molded fiber salad bowls, single-use paper plates, dental floss, and bottled water.
Forever chemicals are used in products designed to be stain and grease repellent, such as carpets, upholstered furniture, non-stick cookware, and leather. PFOS is found in some firefighting foams used at airports, firefighter training facilities, and military airfields.
Pending public comment and court approval, the settlement resolves 3M’s liability in several lawsuits filed by New Jersey against the company claiming that the chemicals have damaged the state’s water and other natural resources, although 3M has eliminated PFAS from its Scotchgard™ products, which are used to protect soft surfaces.
It resolves 3M’s liability in the state’s lawsuits regarding the Chambers Works site, located in Pennsville and Carneys Point in Salem County, and the Parlin site, located in Sayreville. It also resolves violations of the DEP’s Statewide PFAS Directive, all initiated in 2019.
The Chambers Works site is currently owned by The Chemours Company and, before that, was owned by DuPont. The 1,455-acre complex is located along the eastern shore of the Delaware River in southwestern New Jersey. To the east are industrial, residential, and recreational areas, and to the north are residential areas.
The settlement outlines a payment schedule over 25 years, with a total value of up to $450 million.
The agreement begins with payments of $275 million to $325 million in the years 2026-2034. In the first year, 3M will pay $43.45 million for natural resource damages for the Chambers Works site and $16.55 million for PFAS abatement projects related to contamination from the site, including drinking water treatment.
3M will pay an additional $40 million to cover fees, costs and punitive damages. The settlement also includes payments for statewide NRD and abatement of PFAS contamination.
The agreement continues in 2035-2050 with an additional $125 million in payments, primarily for statewide PFAS natural resource damages and abatement. Payments in these years are subject to offsetting credits that 3M may receive if local governmental jurisdictions are successful in asserting additional claims.
In its statement on the settlement, 3M only said the agreement includes:
- A pre-tax present value commitment of approximately $210 million to resolve the legacy Chambers Works litigation and other elements of the settlement.
- A pre-tax present value commitment of approximately $75 million to resolve current and future statewide claims starting in 2030 and running through 2050.
This settlement with 3M is over and above funds already slated to be received by New Jersey public water systems under 3M’s nationwide public water system settlement, announced in separate multidistrict AFFF litigation in 2023. That settlement is expected to provide some $300 to $500 million directly to New Jersey public water systems.
Under the terms of the settlement, 3M is released from liability stemming from its sale, marketing, distribution, use, or manufacture of PFAS in New Jersey. The company is required to continue investigating and remediating PFAS contamination at its former facilities in New Jersey where PFAS contamination has been identified.
This settlement does not affect purely private PFAS lawsuits filed by individuals against 3M.
“The makers of PFAS forever chemicals knew how poisonous these substances were, yet they produced and thoughtlessly released them into New Jersey’s environment anyway,” said Commissioner LaTourette. “This historic settlement marks another step toward holding polluters accountable for dangerous PFAS contamination that has wrought havoc on our water supplies, injured our natural resources, and threatened the public health.”
He explained, “The damages we recover from 3M will help fund New Jersey’s nation-leading PFAS abatement efforts, improve drinking water quality in Salem County and statewide, and restore injured natural resources.
Featured image: An aerial view of the Chambers Works facility in Salem County, New Jersey. The 1,455-acre complex is located along the eastern shore of the Delaware River in southwestern New Jersey. Historically operated by DuPont and now owned by Chemours, Chambers Works has been a hub of chemical manufacturing for the past century. 2019 (Photo courtesy New Jersey Office of the Attorney General)
