3M will pay the state of New Jersey up to $450 million over the next 25 years, resolving claims regarding widespread contamination from “forever chemicals.”

State Attorney General Matthew Platkin and New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Commissioner Shawn LaTourette announced the agreement on Tuesday, describing the terms as “the largest statewide PFAS settlement in New Jersey history.”

PFAS is an acronym for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, an umbrella group of about 15,000 synthetic compounds known for their ability to persist nearly “forever” in the environment, and for years in the human body. These cancer-linked compounds are present in a wide array of household items, such as nonstick pans, waterproof apparel, cosmetics and stain-resistant fabric, as well as in certain firefighting foams.

“The makers of PFAS forever chemicals knew how poisonous these substances were, yet they produced and thoughtlessly released them into New Jersey’s environment anyway,” LaTourette said in a statement.

“This historic settlement marks another step toward holding polluters accountable for dangerous PFAS contamination that has wrought havoc on our water supplies, injured our natural resources and threatened the public health,” the commissioner added.

New Jersey, one of the most PFAS-polluted places........

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