3M pays $850 million to settle drinking water contamination lawsuit
By 
Rebecca Trager2018-02-26T11:45:00
Legal dispute between Minnesota and 3M over perfluorinated compounds ends as company agrees to pay remediation costs
US manufacturing giant 3M has agreed to pay $850 million (£610 million) to the state of Minnesota to settle a lawsuit accusing the company of contaminating groundwater with perfluorinated chemicals (PFCs). The settlement, which came on 20 February when the much-anticipated trial was set to kick-off, will see the money will go to fund projects to improve aquatic habitats in the state’s east, which was hit hardest by the contamination. Finalised on the courthouse steps, the agreement came after six weeks of negotiations.