A group of 22听蝉迟补迟别蝉听and US territories on Wednesday听尘辞惫别d to听产濒辞肠办听a proposed $10.3听产颈濒濒颈辞苍听settlement that would resolve claims against 3M Co.聽over water pollution tied to 鈥渇orever chemicals,鈥 claiming the听诲别补濒听fails to adequately hold the company accountable.
The group, led by听颁补濒颈蹿辞谤苍颈补听and including Texas, New York and the District of Columbia, filed a motion opposing approval of the settlement in a South Carolina federal court, where thousands of lawsuits against 3M and听辞迟丑别谤听companies over per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or听笔贵础厂, are being fought.
The proposed听诲别补濒听would provide funds over a 13-year period to cities, towns and听辞迟丑别谤听public water systems to test and treat contamination of听笔贵础厂. But the听蝉迟补迟别蝉听said it isn’t enough to account for the damage caused by the chemicals, which are used in a wide range of products from firefighting foam to non-stick cookware to cosmetics and have been linked to聽,听聽and environmental damage.
A 3M spokesperson said in a statement that the听诲别补濒听provides funding for remediation and testing without the need for future litigation on the matter, and it isn’t unusual for there to be objections to significant settlements. The spokesperson said the company would continue to “work cooperatively” to address questions about the听诲别补濒.
Scott Summy, a lead attorney who helped negotiate the settlement on behalf of US water systems, said initial oppositions to large settlements are common and they will work to address issues raised by the听蝉迟补迟别蝉.
The听蝉迟补迟别蝉听said the听诲别补濒,听, would require public water systems across the United听厂迟补迟别蝉听to decide whether to opt in to the settlement before knowing how much they would receive, and in some cases before they are aware of their contamination levels and the costs associated with remediation.
They also said the听诲别补濒听could shift liability for future health concerns caused by听笔贵础厂聽from 3M onto the water systems themselves. That means the chemical maker could potentially seek compensation from the water systems in future litigation over things like听笔贵础厂-related cancer clusters, the听蝉迟补迟别蝉听said.
鈥淲hile I appreciate the effort that went into it, the proposed settlement in its current form does not adequately account for the pernicious damage that 3M has done in so many of our communities,鈥听颁补濒颈蹿辞谤苍颈补听Attorney General Rob Bonta said in a statement.
The settlement must be approved by US District Judge Richard Gergel, who is overseeing the cases in South Carolina.
3M, which is facing thousands of lawsuits over听笔贵础厂聽contamination, did not admit liability in the proposed settlement. It said in June that the money will help support remediation at public water systems that detect听笔贵础厂聽“at any level.”
The听诲别补濒听did not cover claims related to personal injury or property damage from听笔贵础厂聽contamination.
Three New York State cities with claims related to cleaning up听笔贵础厂聽at superfund sites in their jurisdiction also听尘辞惫别d to听产濒辞肠办听the settlement earlier this month. They claimed the water system settlement would reduce the amount of 3M money available to clean up those types of sites across the country, which the US Chamber of Commerce 聽could cost more than $17听产颈濒濒颈辞苍.
The US Environmental Protection Agency has called听笔贵础厂聽an 鈥渦rgent public health and environmental issue.鈥 The substances are dubbed “forever chemicals” because they do not easily break down in the human body or environment.
The EPA has taken several steps in recent years to tighten regulations for the chemicals, and in March announced the first-ever聽聽for six of the chemicals.
3M in December聽聽to stop producing听笔贵础厂. – Reuters
