December 15, 2023
Chair Rick Hansen encourages local governments to file claims in 3M PFAS water contamination settlement
SAINT PAUL, Minn. – Earlier this year, 22 state attorneys general, including Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, moved forward with a settlement with 3M over contamination of public water supplies with per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances known as PFAS or “forever chemicals.” The company is expected to pay between $10 and $12 billion to local governments over the course of a decade. The list of public water systems included in the Phase One Eligible Claimants for the lawsuit includes over 100 entities from across Minnesota.
The United States District Court for the District of South Carolina, the jurisdiction where the lawsuit originated, will hold a final fairness hearing on February 2, 2023. Local entities included in the class must file a claims form to be included in the settlement, which can be done here.
Rep. Rick Hansen (DFL–South St. Paul), the chair of the House Environment and Natural Resources Committee encourages eligible local public water systems to file claims:
“Last session, Minnesota passed historic legislation protecting water from forever chemicals, including requiring the phasing out of PFAS chemicals in a variety of products. Unfortunately we know that many cities are already struggling with the financial burden of current contamination,” Rep. Hansen said. “PFAS chemicals are present in Minnesota groundwater and taxpayers should not have to bear the burden of cleaning up a mess created by corporate polluters. I encourage all communities included in this nationwide lawsuit to file a claim prior to the February 2 court hearing in order to ensure they are eligible for funds to ensure their water is clean and safe.”
Included in the settlement’s list of eligible public water systems are the cities of Inver Grove Heights and South St. Paul in Rep. Hansen’s district.
In 2018, 3M reached an $850 million settlement with the state of Minnesota over water contamination in many eastern suburban cities.
“As I said following the State of Minnesota’s settlement with 3M in 2018, that settlement would not be enough to fix the problem of PFAS-contamination. This latest round of settlements shows there is still much work to be done to address water pollution in our state,” Rep. Hansen added.
More information on the current court proceedings, including an FAQ describing the process going forward, is available at https://www.pfaswatersettlement.com/.
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