3M agreed Tuesday, Nov. 3, to pay $7.35 billion before taxes over nine years to resolve firefighting foam injury claims, covering claims inside and outside federal litigation.
The company values the commitment at $5.8 billion in present-value terms. 3M says the agreement addresses about 99% of current personal-injury claims both inside and outside the South Carolina federal multidistrict litigation. The estimate of 115,000 to 120,000 eligible plaintiffs includes people with claims in the federal case and in other venues. Eligibility is separate from joining the agreement, and some payments depend on plaintiffs joining.
Plaintiffs allege groundwater near airports, military bases and industrial sites was polluted by firefighting foam containing PFOA and/or PFOS, resulting in injuries or other harm. 3M said the settlement does not concede legal responsibility.
The 2026 schedule sets a $50 million contribution, with no payment in 2027. About 20% of payments are due during the deal’s final two years. 3M expects a pretax expense of $5.8 billion in the fourth quarter of 2026 and will treat it as a special item in adjusted results. The company said its previously issued 2026 guidance will stand.
3M Chairman and CEO William Brown called the agreement “a significant milestone for 3M” and said it “substantially reduces litigation uncertainty.”
A separate 2023 deal for public water suppliers’ drinking-water claims won final court approval in March 2024. Payments under that agreement extended over 13 years, and its present value was up to $10.3 billion. The injury agreement contemplates a South Carolina federal court order setting evidence requirements and deadlines for people pursuing future claims.
