Wisconsin-based Tyco Fire Products, specialized in fire protection with a production facility in northwest Wisconsin, reached a $750 million settlement with public water systems grappling with the repercussions of "forever chemicals."
This settlement will be an addition to the earlier announced settlements with 3M and DuPont-related companies, valued at up to over $13.5 billion for U.S. drinking water providers.
This agreement, disclosed on Friday, emerged as a culmination of negotiations steered by a coalition of law firms, including Taft, that have been working together for over a decade to lead litigation and secure settlements on behalf of those harmed by PFAS contamination.
The money will be distributed among the cities that have filed lawsuits to remediate PFAS contamination, though it was not immediately clear which communities could see money from the settlement. The settlement stipulates it is not an admission of guilt or wrongdoing.
Gary Douglas, of Douglas & London and lead trial counsel and Co-Chair of the Science Committee for plaintiffs in the AFFF MDL, stated, “We are proud to continue our fight for justice for the American people, and in particular the public water systems who serve millions of Americans who so desperately need funding to remove PFAS from our drinking water. We commend the leadership at Tyco for helping to make this possible.”
Taft Partner Rob Bilott, who serves as the court-appointed Advisory Counsel to plaintiffs in the AFFF MDL and Co-Chair of the Science Committee, added, “This new settlement with Tyco is another historic step forward in what has been many years of work to make sure that those responsible for the contamination of our nation’s drinking water supply with PFAS “forever chemicals” pay for the damage – not the victims of the contamination.”
Tyco Fire Products, a subsidiary of Johnson Controls, has a fire training and research center based in Marinette, where it also mixed ingredients including PFAS to create its firefighting foam.
