"Companies Reach $1.18B Deal to Resolve Claims from 'Forever Chemicals' Water Contamination", 5 June 2023

Three chemical companies said Friday they had reached a $1.18 billion deal to resolve complaints of polluting many U.S. drinking water systems with potentially harmful compounds known as PFAS.

DuPont de Nemours Inc., The Chemours Co. and Corteva Inc. said they would establish a fund to compensate water providers for contamination with the chemicals used widely in nonstick, water- and grease-resistant products, as well as some firefighting foams...

The compounds have been detected at varying levels in drinking water around the nation...

The agreement would settle a case that was scheduled for trial Monday involving a claim by Stuart, Florida, one of about 300 communities that have filed similar suits since 2018...

They are pending in U.S. District Court in Charleston, South Carolina, where Judge Richard Gergel is overseeing thousands of complaints alleging PFAS damages. Among the plaintiffs are water providers, airports, and a number of states and private well owners...

Chemours and Corteva are spinoffs of DuPont, which made PFAS that other companies used in firefighting foam...

The companies said in a joint statement the proposed settlement would "comprehensively resolve all PFAS-related drinking water claims of a defined class of public water systems that serve the vast majority of the United States population."

That group could include thousands of public water systems, from large cities to those serving a few thousand residents... To qualify for shares of the fund, they would have to test their water and detect PFAS.

Chemours would contribute half of the fund — about $592 million. DuPont will pay $400 million and Corteva $193 million...

If Judge Gergel approves the deal, he will set a timetable for notifying water providers who might stake claims.

They are free to opt out and pursue separate cases, but participants "will get funds to address PFAS contamination right now," said [attorney for plaintiffs] Carla Pickrel...

It doesn't settle thousands of cases against other PFAS makers and dealers...