Headline Roundup • June 23rd, 2023
3M Reaches $10.3B Settlement Over 'Forever Chemicals' in Drinking Water
Summary from the AllSides News Team
Chemical company 3M will pay at least $10.3 billion to settle lawsuits over the pollution of public drinking water systems.
The Details: Payments will be made to individual communities over the next 13 years, and will fund testing, detection, and treatment programs for public water supplies (PWS) nationwide that have detected per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) – also known as "forever chemicals." The settlement is subject to court approval, and 3M didn't admit liability.
Key Quotes: "If the agreement is not approved by the court or certain agreed terms are not fulfilled, 3M is prepared to continue to defend itself in the litigation," the company said in a statement. "We have reached the largest drinking water settlement in American history, which will be used to help filter PFAS from drinking water that is served to the public," a lead attorney for the water systems suing 3M said. The company's CEO said the settlement is "an important step forward" in the company's commitment to "exit all PFAS manufacturing."
For Context: PFAs have been linked to both environmental damage and disease. In March, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed new rules to require public water systems to monitor and reduce six types of PFAS.
How the Media Covered It: Left- and center-rated sources covered the news more prominently than right-rated sources did. Some right-rated sources framed the settlement in the context of the toxic East Palestine, Ohio train derailment.
Featured Coverage of this Story
Michael Siluk/Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images
3M has struck a $10.3 billion settlement with U.S. cities and towns over claims of water pollution from "forever chemicals," the chemical and manufacturing company announced Thursday.
Why it matters: The settlement in the per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) case that'd be paid over a 13-year period marks a major step in efforts to curb the threat of the chemicals that've been linked to health problems, and which were found to have contaminated drinking water systems.
Minnesota-based 3M is facing thousands of lawsuits over PFAS contamination claims and has pledged to stop making and using...
REUTERS/Nicholas Pfosi/File Photo
3M Co has reached a $10.3 billion settlement with a host of U.S. public water systems to resolve water pollution claims tied to "forever chemicals," the chemical company announced on Thursday.
The company said the settlement would provide the funds over a 13-year period to cities, towns and other public water systems to test and treat contamination of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS.
3M, which is facing thousands of lawsuits over PFAS contamination, did not admit liability, and said the money will help support remediation at public water systems...
Shutterstock/ Jonathan Weiss
Chemical company 3M will pay a minimum of $10.3 billion to settle a series of lawsuits related to the poisoning of public drinking water systems, the company said Thursday.
The payment will be made over the next 13 years, according to the company website. The funds will be used to fund public water supplies (PWS) across the country that have detected per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAs) that are also known as “forever chemicals,” as well as public water systems that could detect them in the future. The company hopes the settlement means...
AllSides Picks
Blog
Under-reported Stories About Gun Regulations, Trump’s War on Drugs, and Canada’s MAID Program Demand a Closer Look
Malayna J. Bizier
August 24th, 2026
Blog
Dr. Fauci Pleads the Fifth
AllSides Staff
July 30th, 2026
Red Blue Translator
FDA (U.S. Food & Drug Administration)
Red Blue Translator
