5-14-2025 12:53pm

Attorney General Announces Largest Statewide PFAS Settlement in NJ History

Largest statewide PFAS agreement in state history will fund drinking water treatment and long-term remediation; AG Platkin and DEP Commissioner LaTourette call it a national model.

New Jersey Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin and Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Shawn M. LaTourette have announced a historic settlement worth up to $450 million with chemical manufacturer 3M to resolve lawsuits and enforcement actions over widespread contamination caused by PFAS, also known as “forever chemicals.” This is the largest statewide PFAS settlement in New Jersey’s history and one of the first of its kind nationwide.

The agreement, which is subject to public comment and court approval, resolves 3M’s liability related to PFAS contamination at two major industrial sites—the Chambers Works site in Pennsville and Carneys Point, Salem County, and the Parlin site in Sayreville, Middlesex County—as well as broader claims under the State’s 2019 Statewide PFAS Directive. It also concludes New Jersey’s claims against 3M in litigation over PFAS used in aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF), a firefighting product.

The announcement comes ahead of a scheduled May 19, 2025, federal trial in the Chambers Works case, from which 3M is now released. Other defendants in that litigation, including DuPont, Chemours, Corteva, and related entities, remain on track for trial.

“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 Attorney General Platkin. “New Jersey has some of the highest levels of PFAS in the country. That’s why New Jersey has been leading the national charge against corporate polluters who contaminate our drinking water and harm our state’s communities. Today’s settlement marks the latest chapter in our office’s efforts to combat PFAS contamination and protect access to clean water. We look forward to pursuing everyone else who had a role in contaminating New Jersey with PFAS, and we will see many of them at trial on Monday.”

A Decades-Long Public Health Threat

PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) are synthetic chemicals used since the 1940s in a variety of industrial and consumer applications. They are called “forever chemicals” because they do not degrade in the environment and accumulate in human bodies. PFAS exposure has been linked to kidney, liver, and testicular cancers, autoimmune diseases, endocrine disruption, and developmental issues in fetuses and infants.

New Jersey has been a national leader in PFAS regulation, becoming the first state to set enforceable maximum contaminant levels for PFAS in drinking water and conducting statewide monitoring and enforcement.

Terms of the Agreement

Under the settlement, 3M will pay between $275 million and $325 million from 2026 to 2034, and another $125 million between 2035 and 2050, totaling up to $450 million. Key initial payments include:

$43.45 million for Natural Resource Damages (NRD) at the Chambers Works site.
$16.55 million for PFAS abatement, including drinking water treatment projects.
$40 million for legal fees, costs, and punitive damages.
Additional funds for statewide NRD and remediation.

The agreement allows for certain credits or offsets in later years if municipalities or other governmental units pursue and succeed in related claims. Funds received will support environmental and public health protection across the state, including PFAS removal and site cleanups.

Importantly, 3M is required to continue investigating and remediating PFAS contamination at its former New Jersey facilities. However, the settlement does not affect private lawsuits by individuals against 3M over PFAS-related harm.

Broader Legal Context and National Impact

This deal follows a series of legal actions dating back to March and May 2019, when New Jersey filed lawsuits and issued directives against 3M for its role in PFAS contamination. The state also brought consumer fraud claims against 3M and others for marketing PFAS-containing products without disclosing their environmental hazards.

3M has been phasing out PFAS production since announcing its intent to stop manufacturing certain PFAS in 2000. In 2022, the company committed to exit all PFAS manufacturing and phase out PFAS use globally by the end of 2025.

This agreement is separate from 3M’s participation in a nationwide AFFF multidistrict litigation settlement, which could deliver $300 to $500 million to New Jersey public water systems for direct PFAS remediation.

Building on Past Settlements

Today’s settlement adds to the approximately $840 million in total PFAS-related commitments New Jersey has secured. In 2023, the State reached a $214 million remediation and funding agreement with Solvay Specialty Polymers USA, LLC for PFAS contamination at its West Deptford facility.

New Jersey’s approach—blending regulatory action, litigation, and scientific leadership—has made the state a model for PFAS accountability and remediation across the U.S.

“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 public health. 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. The Department of Environmental Protection and our Attorney General will continue to hold all PFAS polluters accountable when and wherever they leave behind a toxic mess. The people of New Jersey should never be forced to clean up after them.”