A settlement to end lawsuits over “forever chemicals” between DuPont, 3M and New Jersey was approved by a federal court, the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office announced Friday. The settlement with the two companies was originally agreed to in August 2025 and is collectively valued at $2.5 billion. The “forever chemicals,” also known as PFAS (polyfluoroalkyl and perfluoroalkyl substances), have significantly polluted four sites across New Jersey, according to the attorney general. The settlements resolve two lawsuits: New Jersey’s litigation against E.I. DuPont de Nemours and Co., first filed in 2019, and a separate suit against 3M. “For years, corporate polluters have profited from ‘forever chemicals’ while causing untold damage to our communities — endangering the health of our kids, contaminating the water we drink, and exposing our first responders to dangerous carcinogens,” Attorney General Jennifer Davenport said. “Today’s landmark settlement cements New Jersey’s national leadership in the fight against forever chemicals and is a critical first step in undoing the damage DuPont and 3M have caused to our state.” PFAS have been linked to various cancers and birth defects. They are used to make a variety of household, consumer and industrial products, such as cookware, cosmetics and carpet. The four sites where PFAS contamination was most prevalent were Pompton Lakes Works in Pompton Lakes and Wanaque, Passaic County; the Parlin site in Sayreville, Middlesex County; the Repauno site in Greenwich Township, Gloucester County; and Chambers Works in Pennsville and Carneys Point Township, Salem County. Prior to seeking judicial approval, the Department of Environmental Protection held 60 days of public comment and “carefully considered and responded to all comments,” according to the attorney general’s office. New Jersey moved for judicial approval in late 2025 and has since resolved objections raised by eighteen counties and a coalition of publicly owned wastewater treatment plants, according to officials. Up to $365 million will go toward addressing damage caused by releases of PFAS and restoring natural resources near the four sites in New Jersey.Payments by DuPont and 3M will be made annually over the next 25 years.
