3M has agreed to pay the state of New Jersey between $400 million and $450 million over the next 25 years to resolve claims related to contamination from PFAS, also known as “forever chemicals.” The settlement addresses both historic pollution tied to the Chambers Works facility in Deepwater, N.J., and broader PFAS-related claims across the state.
The Chambers Works site, located on the Delaware River in Salem County, was formerly owned by DuPont and is now operated by The Chemours Company. While DuPont and Chemours were not part of this settlement, they remain defendants in ongoing litigation brought by the state.
The New Jersey Attorney General’s Office described the agreement as the largest clean-water settlement in the state's history. The state filed its lawsuit against 3M, DuPont, and other chemical manufacturers in 2019, alleging that chemicals produced at the site had polluted drinking water.
PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are a class of chemicals commonly found in products such as nonstick cookware, water-repellent clothing, and stain-resistant carpets. Studies have linked PFAS exposure to various health issues, including developmental delays in children, decreased fertility, metabolic disorders, and increased risks of certain cancers.
“Corporate polluters must be held accountable when they contaminate our state’s water supply,” said New Jersey Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin, according to the New York Times. “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.”
3M has agreed to pay the state of New Jersey between $400 million and $450 million over the next 25 years to resolve claims related to contamination from PFAS
The agreement covers legacy claims associated with 3M’s historical supply of PFAS to the Chambers Works site, as well as any current or future claims by the State of New Jersey and its departments related to PFAS contamination. According to 3M, it stopped supplying PFAS to DuPont at the site in 2001.
3M stated the agreement is “another important step toward reducing risk and uncertainty on these legacy issues, allowing 3M to focus on its strategic priorities.” The company emphasised that the settlement is not an admission of liability and that it is prepared to continue defending itself if court approval or settlement terms are not fulfilled.
As part of the agreement, New Jersey acknowledged that 3M “has taken actions, which other companies have not taken, to cease manufacturing” PFAS. 3M previously announced in 2000 it would phase out production of PFOA and PFOS, two major types of PFAS, and said it remains on track to end all PFAS manufacturing by the end of 2025.
Shawn M. LaTourette, New Jersey’s Commissioner of Environmental Protection, highlighted the widespread nature of PFAS contamination in the state. “We find PFAS everywhere in the state of New Jersey, leeching from landfills, and even in the soils of distant remote New Jersey forests that should be pristine,” he said.
This settlement makes New Jersey the second known state to reach such an agreement with 3M. In 2018, Minnesota settled with the company for $850 million over PFAS contamination. In 2023, 3M agreed to a national settlement of up to $12.5 billion with public water suppliers over similar claims.
Financially, 3M expects to take a pretax charge of approximately $285 million in the second quarter of 2025. This includes $210 million related to the Chambers Works site and an additional $75 million for existing and future statewide PFAS claims, reflecting the present value of payments scheduled from 2030 to 2050. The company indicated that the structure of the payments is designed to provide predictable cash flow while aligning with its financial priorities.
