Federal judge approves New Jersey's 2.5 billion dollar PFAS settlements with DuPont & 3M

A federal judge has approved two settlements valued at approximately 2.5 billion dollars between the state of New Jersey and chemical manufacturers DuPont and 3M, resolving years of litigation over contamination from per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), also known as "forever chemicals."

The agreement with DuPont, valued at over 2 billion dollars, is the biggest environmental settlement ever secured by a single US state, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and the Office of the Attorney General announced in a statement.

Chief Judge Renee Marie Bumb of the US District of New Jersey approved the agreements on August 7, finding them "fair, reasonable and in best interests of the people of New Jersey," in a court opinion issued the same day.

The cases date back to 2019, when the state of New Jersey began filing lawsuits against the chemical manufacturers. One set of claims targeted E.I. DuPont de Nemours and Co., now EIDP, Inc., along with its spin-offs Chemours and Corteva. The other was against 3M, which produced PFAS and sold them to DuPont for use at its New Jersey plants.

"For years, corporate polluters have profited from 'forever chemicals' while causing untold damage to our communities," Attorney General Jennifer Davenport said in a statement. "This 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."

The terms of the PFAS settlements

Following the ruling, DuPont and its entities will pay up to 875 million dollars across 25 years to the state. From that amount, 525 million dollars will be used to clean up PFAS contaminants, while 225 million dollars will compensate the state for damages to its natural resources, and approximately 125 million dollars will go towards the state's legal fees, investigation costs, and damages.

In addition, DuPont and its entities must clean up four former industrial sites in the state: Chambers Works, Pompton Lakes Works, Parlin, and Repauno, no matter the final end cost. The companies have set aside up to 1.2 billion dollars for this, plus 475 million dollars in reserve in case any of them fail to fulfill their responsibilities to the state.

3M, which said in 2022 that it would stop producing PFAS by the end of 2025, is set to pay up to 450 million dollars across 25 years.

Up to 795 million dollars from both settlements will be used for tackling PFAS contamination across the state, mostly as low- or interest-free loans so water utilities can upgrade their treatment systems. Another 365 million dollars will be used to fund the restoration of damaged land, water, and wildlife.

Combined with previous settlements, New Jersey now expects to recover more than 3 billion dollars from its PFAS lawsuits."This is truly a historic moment for New Jersey, which has experienced disproportionate and extensive pollution impacts from decades of PFAS manufacturing and use by DuPont and 3M," Acting Commissioner Potosnak said in a statement.

"But this is only the beginning of what will be a long road to restore our environment from the unfortunate legacy of these chemicals. The DEP and the Sherrill Administration are committed to engaging the public and our stakeholders to maximize the public health and environmental protection benefits of these funds to heal New Jersey."

Where does PFAS regulation stand in 2026?

As of 2026, at least 18 states have introduced class-based PFAS restrictions on consumer products, with nearly 100 new bills introduced in 2026 alone. Most of the new state regulations target what is known as "regulated PFAS": chemicals that have been deliberately added to a product to perform a function, such as repelling water or stains, or that are present above a set limit regardless of intent.

For example, under California's textile law, that limit has stood at 100 parts per million of total organic fluorine since January 1, 2025, and will drop to 50 parts per million on January 1, 2027.