Evers, Kaul join coalition in opposing 3M’s proposed PFAS settlement

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Gov. Tony Evers and Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul, joining a bipartisan coalition of 22 attorneys general, have announced their opposition to a proposed class action settlement with the 3M Company over claims of contamination of the drinking water supply.

Under the proposed settlement, water providers would withdraw the hundreds of lawsuits they have filed against 3M over its use of per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances — commonly referred to as “PFAS” or toxic “forever chemicals” — in a wide range of consumer products and firefighting foams.

“Every Wisconsinite deserves access to clean, safe water, free of PFAS and other harmful contaminants that we know are detrimental to our kids, families, farmers, and communities,” said Evers in a news release. “Communities across our state are dealing with the effects of PFAS contamination, and we know folks and families are already facing enormous costs to get these harmful pollutants out of our water supplies. I promised the people of Wisconsin we would work to ensure those responsible are held accountable and would fight to make sure taxpayers don’t have to foot the bill to clean up the messes that others made—this settlement falls short of that commitment.”

“We must ensure that our drinking water is safe from toxic forever chemicals and that taxpayers aren’t left to foot the bill for remediating PFAS contamination,” Kaul said in a statement. “We will continue working to hold the companies that profited from the production and sale of PFAS accountable.”

The proposed settlement would apply to nearly every public water provider in the United States, even those that have not sued and even those that have yet to test for the presence of PFAS in their water. In return for waiving their claims, 3M would allegedly pay out $10.5 to $12.5 billion to water providers.

Joining Evers and Kaul in opposing the proposed settlement are the attorneys general of Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, as well as the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.