Companies to pay N.J. up to $2B

DuPont and two other companies will pay New Jersey up to $2 billion to settle environmental claims stemming from PFAS, commonly referred to as “forever chemicals,” the companies said Monday, Aug. 4.

State Environmental Commissioner Shawn LaTourette said the deal with DuPont, Chemours and Corteva is the largest such settlement in the state’s history.

It calls for the companies to pay $875 million during 25 years and create a remediation fund of up $1.2 billion. The companies will split the costs under the deal, which must be approved by the courts.

PFAS, or perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are a group of chemicals that have been around for decades and have spread into the nation’s air, water and soil.

DuPont said the settlement will resolve “all pending environmental and other claims” for ”legacy” contamination claims at four sites where the companies operated in the state. The sites include the Pompton Lakes Works site, previously owned by DuPont and now by Chemours.

It includes about 572 acres in Pompton Lakes and Wanaque. DuPont made explosives there from 1902 to April 1994, when the facility closed.

According to the federal Environmental Protection Agency, the company’s manufacturing and waste management practices resulted in contamination of surface water, soil and sediment, and groundwater both on and off the site.

3M settlement

The settlement announced Aug. 4 comes just months after the state said chemical manufacturer 3M has agreed to pay up $450 million to resolve lawsuits over natural resource contamination stemming from PFAS.

“Polluters who place profit above public well-being by releasing poisonous PFAS and other contamination in our state can expect to be held responsible to clean up their mess and fully compensate the state and its citizens for the precious natural resources they’ve damaged or destroyed,” LaTourette said.

PFAS were manufactured by companies such as 3M, Chemours and others because they were incredibly useful. They helped eggs slide across non-stick frying pans, ensured that firefighting foam suffocates flames, and helped clothes withstand rain and keep people dry.

The chemicals resist breaking down, though, meaning they linger in the environment.

Environmental activists say PFAS makers knew about the health harms of PFAS long before they were made public. The same attributes that make the chemicals so valuable - resistance to breakdown - make them hazardous to people.

PFAS accumulate in the body, which is why the Environmental Protection Agency set their limits for drinking water at 4 parts per trillion for two common types - PFOA and PFOS - that are phased out of manufacturing but are present in the environment.