PFAS April 2, 2026 · 11 min read

PFAS Settlements: The 3M $10.3 Billion and DuPont $1.185 Billion Agreements Explained

In June 2023, PFAS manufacturers 3M and DuPont (along with Chemours and Corteva) agreed to pay a combined $11.485 billion to resolve claims from U.S. public water systems contaminated by PFAS forever chemicals. The 3M settlement alone, at $10.3 billion, is the largest environmental contamination settlement in U.S. history. But these settlements covered only water utilities, not individual people. This guide explains how these historic settlements work, what they mean for affected communities, and why individuals who developed PFAS-linked cancers still need to file separate personal injury claims.

In This Article

  1. The PFAS Litigation Landscape
  2. 3M's $10.3 Billion Settlement
  3. DuPont, Chemours & Corteva Settlement
  4. How Water Utilities Receive Funds
  5. Individual Personal Injury Claims
  6. Ongoing PFAS Litigation

The PFAS Litigation Landscape

The legal battle over PFAS contamination has produced some of the largest environmental settlements in American history. Thousands of lawsuits have been filed by public water utilities, municipalities, state attorneys general, and individual plaintiffs against the manufacturers of PFAS chemicals, primarily 3M Company and E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Company (DuPont), along with its spinoffs Chemours and Corteva.[1]

The centerpiece of PFAS litigation is a federal multidistrict litigation (MDL) consolidated before Judge Richard Gergel in the District of South Carolina. MDL 2873 brought together claims from hundreds of public water utilities and municipalities alleging that PFAS manufacturers knew about the health risks of PFAS for decades but concealed this information from the public and regulators. The MDL also includes claims related to AFFF firefighting foam.[1]

Separately, individual plaintiffs who developed kidney cancer, testicular cancer, thyroid cancer, ulcerative colitis, and other conditions linked to PFAS have filed thousands of personal injury lawsuits. These cases are at various stages of litigation across multiple federal and state courts.[2]

$10.3B

3M settlement with public water utilities (2023)

$1.185B

DuPont/Chemours/Corteva settlement with utilities (2023)

MDL 2873

Federal PFAS MDL in District of South Carolina

2029

Deadline for utilities to comply with EPA PFAS standards

3M's $10.3 Billion Settlement

In June 2023, 3M Company announced a proposed settlement of approximately $10.3 billion with U.S. public water systems to resolve claims related to PFAS contamination. This represents the largest settlement in any environmental contamination case in U.S. history. The settlement was finalized and approved by the court in August 2024.[3]

The settlement covers claims from public water utilities that have detected PFAS in their systems and must install treatment technology to remove these chemicals. Under the agreement, 3M will pay the funds over a period of 13 years (2024-2036). The settlement creates a fund that public water systems can draw from to cover the cost of PFAS testing, treatment technology installation, and system modifications needed to comply with the EPA's 2024 drinking water standards.[3]

3M stopped manufacturing PFOS and PFOA in 2002 and announced it would exit all PFAS manufacturing by the end of 2025. Despite this, the company faced enormous legal liability for decades of contamination from its PFAS products, including AFFF and Scotchgard. 3M denied wrongdoing but agreed to the settlement to resolve the litigation.[3]

Settlement Coverage

The 3M settlement covers public water systems (community water systems and non-transient, non-community systems) that serve at least 25 people. Private well owners and individual personal injury claimants are NOT covered by the 3M water utility settlement and must pursue separate legal claims.

DuPont, Chemours & Corteva Settlement

Also in June 2023, DuPont de Nemours, The Chemours Company, and Corteva announced a separate settlement of approximately $1.185 billion with U.S. public water systems. This settlement addressed claims arising from PFOA contamination, particularly from the decades of PFOA use at DuPont's Washington Works plant in Parkersburg, West Virginia, and other manufacturing facilities.[4]

Chemours is a 2015 spinoff of DuPont that took on certain PFAS manufacturing operations and liabilities, while Corteva is an agricultural spinoff of DowDuPont. The three companies negotiated a shared settlement to resolve the public water system claims. Like the 3M settlement, this fund is specifically for utilities, not for individual plaintiffs.[4]

DuPont's history with PFOA contamination is particularly well-documented and was the subject of the 2019 film Dark Waters, starring Mark Ruffalo. Internal documents revealed in litigation showed that DuPont scientists recognized the toxicity of PFOA as early as the 1960s and 1970s, yet the company continued to release the chemical into the environment and concealed this knowledge from regulators and the public for decades.[5]

How Water Utilities Receive Funds

Public water utilities that qualify for settlement funds from the 3M and DuPont/Chemours/Corteva settlements must register through the settlement claims processes. The settlements create a framework where utilities receive funds based on the level of PFAS detected in their water and the costs of installing treatment systems to meet the EPA's 2024 standards.[3]

Water utilities should consult with environmental attorneys who specialize in PFAS litigation to ensure they have properly registered their claims and maximized their recovery. The deadlines for claim registration in these settlements are specific and strict. Utilities that miss registration deadlines may forfeit their right to settlement funds.[4]

The settlement funds are separate from any federal grants or loans available under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which allocated $10 billion for PFAS remediation in water systems. Utilities may be able to access both settlement funds and federal infrastructure grants to cover their compliance costs.[6]

Individual Personal Injury Claims

The 3M and DuPont settlements described above cover only public water utility claims. They do not compensate individual people who developed cancers or other serious diseases from PFAS exposure. Individual personal injury claims are handled through separate litigation.[1]

Individuals who believe they developed kidney cancer, testicular cancer, thyroid cancer, or other conditions linked to PFAS exposure through contaminated drinking water, occupational exposure, or AFFF contact may have separate legal claims against PFAS manufacturers. These cases are in various stages of litigation in federal and state courts.[2]

Several AFFF cases involving firefighters and military personnel who developed cancer have been bellwether trials in MDL 2873. These early trials have helped establish the facts and legal theories that will inform future settlements or verdicts in individual PFAS personal injury cases.[1]

  • Eligible conditions: Kidney cancer, testicular cancer, thyroid cancer, thyroid disease, ulcerative colitis, and other conditions with strong scientific links to PFAS exposure.
  • Who may qualify: People who drank PFAS-contaminated water from a public system or private well, firefighters and military personnel who used or were exposed to AFFF, and workers at PFAS manufacturing facilities.
  • Statute of limitations: Varies by state, but generally begins running when the plaintiff knew or should have known of the connection between their illness and PFAS exposure. An attorney can advise on your specific situation.

Ongoing PFAS Litigation

While the 3M and DuPont/Chemours/Corteva settlements resolved many public water utility claims, PFAS litigation is far from over. Ongoing and emerging areas of PFAS litigation include:

  • Individual personal injury claims: Thousands of cases filed by individuals who developed cancer or other serious diseases from PFAS exposure.
  • State attorney general actions: More than 20 state attorneys general have filed or settled lawsuits against PFAS manufacturers, with recoveries used for state remediation and public health programs.
  • Emerging PFAS chemical litigation: As manufacturers replaced PFOA and PFOS with newer PFAS compounds (such as GenX), new litigation is emerging over the health risks of these replacement chemicals.
  • Superfund and environmental remediation claims: EPA and state agencies are pursuing PFAS manufacturers for the costs of cleaning up contaminated soil and groundwater at Superfund sites.
  • Consumer product claims: Lawsuits alleging PFAS contamination from food packaging, cookware, cosmetics, and other consumer products.

PFAS lawsuits are ongoing and compensation may be available for those who developed serious illnesses.

If you or a family member was diagnosed with kidney cancer, testicular cancer, thyroid disease, or ulcerative colitis after PFAS exposure, a free case review can determine if you qualify.

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Sources & References

  1. [1] EPA — PFAS Litigation Overview — https://www.epa.gov/pfas
  2. [2] ATSDR — PFAS Health Effects — https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/pfas/index.html
  3. [3] 3M — Settlement Announcement (June 2023) — https://news.3m.com/
  4. [4] DuPont — Settlement Statement — https://www.dupont.com/
  5. [5] NIH — PFAS Research — https://www.niehs.nih.gov/health/topics/agents/pfc
  6. [6] EPA — Infrastructure and Water Funding — https://www.epa.gov/infrastructure

Frequently Asked Questions

How much is the 3M PFAS settlement? expand_more

3M agreed to pay approximately $10.3 billion to U.S. public water systems over 13 years (2024-2036). This is the largest environmental contamination settlement in U.S. history. The funds are intended to help water utilities test for PFAS and install treatment systems to comply with the EPA's 2024 drinking water standards.

Does the 3M settlement cover individual cancer patients? expand_more

No. The 3M and DuPont/Chemours/Corteva settlements of 2023 specifically covered public water utility claims, not individual personal injury claims. People who developed kidney cancer, testicular cancer, or other PFAS-linked diseases must file separate personal injury lawsuits to seek compensation.

What is the DuPont PFAS settlement amount? expand_more

DuPont, Chemours, and Corteva agreed to pay approximately $1.185 billion to U.S. public water systems in June 2023 to resolve PFAS contamination claims. Like the 3M settlement, these funds go to water utilities rather than to individual plaintiffs.

Can I still file a PFAS lawsuit in 2026? expand_more

Yes, individual PFAS personal injury litigation is ongoing in 2026. If you developed kidney cancer, testicular cancer, thyroid disease, ulcerative colitis, or another PFAS-linked condition, you may still be able to file a claim. The statute of limitations varies by state, and many states allow the limitations period to start when the plaintiff discovered the connection between PFAS and their illness.

Sources & References

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SuperLawsuits Editorial Team

Reviewed by licensed attorneys in our network