# 3M Agrees to $7.35 Billion Settlement Over PFAS Injury Claims

By Riza Dagoc

Canonical URL: https://www.tokenpost.com/news/regulation/48459
Published: 2026-11-04T12:19:41.000Z
Updated: 2026-11-04T12:19:41.000Z
Section: Regulation

> The nine-year pretax commitment has a present value of $5.8 billion, with 115,000 to 120,000 plaintiffs eligible to participate.

3M reached an agreement Tuesday, Nov. 3, to resolve personal-injury claims tied to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in litigation over aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF), a type of firefighting foam. The deal addresses about 99% of current claims inside and outside the federal multidistrict litigation in South Carolina. It carries a nine-year pretax commitment of $7.35 billion in nominal payments, or $5.8 billion in present value. 3M announced the agreement at 6 p.m. ET (23:00 UTC).

3M estimates that 115,000 to 120,000 plaintiffs are eligible to participate. Eligibility does not mean every plaintiff has joined, and some payments depend on plaintiffs joining the agreement. The estimate includes claims inside and outside the federal case.

The commitment includes a $680 million reserve fund. The payment schedule calls for $50 million in 2026, no payment in 2027 and about 20% of payments in the final two years of the nine-year period.

3M expects to record a $5.8 billion pretax charge in the fourth quarter of 2026. The company will classify the charge as a special item in its adjusted results and said it will not change its previously issued 2026 guidance. Chairman and CEO William Brown called the agreement “a significant milestone for 3M” that “substantially reduces litigation uncertainty.” 3M said the agreement is not an admission of liability.

The lawsuits allege that firefighting foam containing PFOA and/or PFOS contaminated groundwater near military bases, airports and industrial sites, causing personal injury or other harm. Those claims are allegations made by plaintiffs.

The new agreement covers personal-injury claims and is separate from 3M’s 2023 deal with public water suppliers over drinking-water claims. That earlier agreement had a present value of up to $10.3 billion, was payable over 13 years and received final court approval in March 2024.

The personal-injury agreement anticipates a court order in the South Carolina multidistrict litigation setting evidence and timing requirements for people who may pursue future claims.