Three large chemical manufacturers, Chemours, DuPont, and Corteva, agreed Monday to pay New Jersey $875 million in a settlement linked to pollution from PFAS, or perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, also known as “forever chemicals.”
Officials have called it one of the largest environmental settlements ever won by a state. The companies will pay the state over the next 25 years.
“PFAS are particularly insidious,” New Jersey Attorney General Matt Platkin said in a statement. “These dangerous chemicals build up and accumulate everywhere, and New Jersey has some of the highest levels of PFAS in the country. It is why I have worked so diligently alongside Commissioner LaTourette on this issue, and I am pleased that the companies agreed to a settlement rather than continue with the trial.”
This agreement will address contamination at four manufacturing sites across New Jersey.
Under the settlement, Chemours will pay half, DuPont will pay about 36%, and Corteva will pay about 14%. The companies will also create a remediation fund of up to $1.2 billion.
“The settlement will resolve all legacy contamination claims related to the companies’ current and former operating sites,” the companies said in a joint statement. The settlement still has to be approved by the courts.
PFAS include 15,000 chemicals that are highly resistant to heat, water, and oil and do not break down naturally in the environment. The body also has a difficult time breaking them down, and they have been linked to numerous health problems, including certain types of cancer, reproductive troubles, and liver damage.
“Polluters who place profit above public well-being by releasing poisonous PFAS and other contamination in our State can expect to be held responsible to clean up their mess and fully compensate the State and its citizens for the precious natural resources they’ve damaged or destroyed,” New Jersey Environmental Protection Commissioner Shawn LaTourette said in a statement.
WISCONSIN SUPREME COURT SIDES WITH ENVIRONMENTAL INTERESTS AGAINST ‘FOREVER CHEMICALS’
States in recent years have begun to sue chemical giants for drinking water contamination and overall environmental contamination.
In 2018, 3M settled with Minnesota for $850 million over PFAS pollution, on a scale similar to New Jersey’s deal. In May, 3M also settled with the Garden State for $450 million over pollution in the state’s drinking water.
