A U.S. company discharged carcinogens into tap water—this firm agreed to a $10 billion settlement | In-depth report by 36Kr

Facing a flood of environmental pollution lawsuits, global chemical giant 3M has finally responded. On June 22 local time, 3M announced it had agreed to pay a settlement ranging from a minimum of $10.5 billion to a maximum of $12.5 billion to resolve hundreds of water contamination claims related to 'forever chemicals' (PFAS). PFAS stands for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances—a broad class of synthetic chemicals dubbed 'forever chemicals' because they resist natural degradation in the environment. In recent years, PFAS have been detected at hazardous concentrations in drinking water, soil, and food across the United States—and have been linked to human health issues including liver damage, weakened immune systems, and certain cancers. Under the agreement, 3M will fund testing and remediation of PFAS contamination in U.S. public water systems over the next 13 years. Although 3M has reached this settlement, it does not admit liability for pollution. The company stated that if the agreement is not approved by the court or certain conditions remain unfulfilled, it stands ready to defend itself in litigation. In fact, 3M is not alone: other globally renowned chemical companies—including DuPont—have also faced similar pollution allegations. Because 3M pioneered PFAS development as early as the late 1940s and continuously expanded its applications, it now sits at the epicenter of this public controversy. In response to mounting litigation pressure, 3M announced last December its plan to exit PFAS production and aims to eliminate PFAS from its entire product portfolio by the end of 2025. Today, preventing PFAS contamination has become a global issue, prompting major chemical conglomerates to pivot dramatically. Yet for the irreversible harms caused by PFAS, solutions beyond monetary compensation remain unclear. PFAS: Once Created, They Never Truly Die The public is already familiar with plastic and other forms of 'white pollution', yet the dangers posed by certain specific chemicals still fail to attract sufficient attention. In reality, the impact of such substances extends far beyond imagination—and PFAS is one prominent example. PFAS comprises a vast family of chemical compounds—over 5,000 individual substances are known. Thanks to their water-repellent, oil-repellent, low-friction, and thermally stable properties, they are widely used across industrial manufacturing—and today appear ubiquitously in everyday life. Tracing back to their origins, PFAS emerged during the U.S. Manhattan Project in World War II, when a chemist passed toxic yellow fluorine gas through a carbon arc, creating an almost indestructible carbon–fluorine bond (C–F bond)—the foundational structure of PFAS. Shortly thereafter, multinational corporation 3M acquired the chemist’s patent and rapidly expanded PFAS applications—from defense to petrochemicals, electronics, construction, and other civilian sectors. Since the 1940s and 1950s, PFAS have been widely incorporated into numerous consumer products, including fire-fighting foams, non-stick cookware, cleaning sprays, waterproof sportswear, stain-resistant carpets, cosmetics—and even fast-food packaging. Like two sides of the same coin, PFAS’s unique chemical properties deliver immense commercial value on one hand—but simultaneously plunge them into a 'toxic abyss' on the other.

Bayer’s $7.25 billion Roundup class-action lawsuit reaches settlement: Six law firms poised to receive a record $675 million in attorney fees

NYC On May 15, attorneys involved in the case applied for $675 million in attorney fees as compensation for facilitating this settlement agreement—which aims to resolve current and future lawsuits alleging that Bayer’s herbicide 'Roundup' causes cancer. Six law firms participated in the case: Holland Law Firm, Ketchmark & McCreight, Seeger Weiss, Motley Rice, Williams Hart & Boundas, and Waters Kraus Paul & Siegel. Seeger Weiss, one of the six firms, stated in a press release that the proposed Roundup settlement represents not only one of the largest class-action settlements ever reached, but also the largest in Missouri state history. The firm further noted that its requested fee of 9.3% is significantly lower than the typical benchmark of one-third (33.3%) routinely approved by courts in major class-action settlements. Ketchmark & McCreight likewise emphasized in an email statement that what makes this case distinctive is the collective legal team’s commitment to managing claims over the next 17 years. Their fee request also accounts for nearly two decades of additional work, risk assumed, and expenses incurred. The six co-counseling law firms jointly explained in their application that the $675 million will be shared among all law firms representing plaintiffs in this matter. Bayer’s subsidiary Monsanto issued a statement expressing its anticipation of finalizing the settlement. Under the agreement, a long-term claims program will be established, providing sustained financial support via annual fixed payments over up to 21 years. Monsanto denies that glyphosate—the key ingredient in Roundup—causes cancer and declined to comment on the attorney fee application. If approved at the upcoming hearing scheduled for July, this $675 million attorney fee award would set a rare record—surpassing previous high-value attorney fee awards, including the $667 million and $657.1 million approved in 2022 and 2025 respectively for antitrust lawsuits against insurer Blue Cross Blue Shield; and the $540 million awarded to attorneys who secured 3M’s $6.01 billion settlement in 2024. In a 2024 case, public water systems sued major manufacturers of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), resulting in two settlement agreements totaling over $11 billion—and a federal judge approved attorney fees as high as $956 million. Typically, judges evaluating attorney fee applications consider multiple factors—including the size of the settlement, the time invested by counsel, and the complexity of the case. Experts note that, aside from statutory provisions, judges often hesitate before approving exceptionally large attorney fees—and in cases involving extraordinarily massive settlements, the percentage fee awarded tends to decrease.

Baron & Budd and Douglas & London Obtain $7.35 Billion Settlement With 3M Company to Resolve PFAS Personal Injury Lawsuits

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Law firms Baron & Budd and Douglas & London secured a $7.35 billion settlement from 3M to resolve over 100,000 PFAS-related personal injury claims involving contaminated water and firefighting foam exposure.

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