3M forever chemicals settlement advances, but some AGs unhappy with payout [Video]

A $10 billion to $12 billion public water contamination settlement with manufacturer 3M has advanced after 22 state attorneys general dropped objections.

The deal, which must still be approved by a U.S. district court, came after the manufacturing company was sued for its contribution to water contamination through “forever chemicals,” otherwise known as PFAS, which have been linked to a variety of illnesses.

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PFAS are oil- and water-repellent, heat-resistant synthetic chemicals often used for nonstick surfaces and as lining in food packaging.

A bipartisan group of attorneys general led by Democratic California Attorney General Rob Bonta intervened in 3M’s initial settlement proposal with several concerns over liability and payout.

Democratic Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison said there was a clause shifting PFAS liability from the Minnesota-based company to public water utilities and an unclear amount of settlement funding for those utilities.

“Corporate polluters like 3M should …