3M’s PFAS Deal Promises Cash, But Not Clean Water, For Wisconsin Families

Mary Wetterling named the water dispenser at her French Island, Wis., home “Aqua Maria.” Angela Major/WPR Minnesota-based 3M announced this week it will spend more than $7 billion over the next nine years to settle injury claims tied to PFAS, and hundreds of Wisconsin residents may be eligible for compensation. PFAS, short for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are a class of thousands of synthetic chemicals used in products like cookware, food wrappers and firefighting foam. Research shows high exposure to PFAS has been linked to kidney and testicular cancers, fertility issues and reduced response to vaccines. The company did not admit any liability or wrongdoing in the $7.35 billion settlement. The deal addresses 99 percent of personal injury claims in over 15,000 cases tied to use of aqueous film-forming foam, or AFFF, that contains PFAS. As many as 120,000 plaintiffs have filed personal injury claims since 2018. David Hoyle and Fred Thompson, attorneys working on the multi-distri