NEW YORK Reuters - Industrial conglomerate 3 M Co said on Tuesday it had agreed to pay about $98.4 million to settle claims that it contaminated the Tennessee River with toxic chemicals.
3 M agreed to resolve a lawsuit by environmental group Tennessee Riverkeeper and a separate class action by residents of Alabama's Morgan County. It also negotiated a local settlement with Morgan County, the city of Decatur, where 3 M's private facility is based and Decatur's utility provider.
The three agreements all involve 3 M's manufacturing and disposal of polyfluoroalkyl and perfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, at its Decatur industrial site in Morgan County.
The settlements come a day after the Environmental Protection Agency said it would set limits on PFAS, which scientists have associated with illnesses such as kidney cancer.
PFAS have been dubbed forever chemicals because they do not break down easily. They have been used for decades in household products such as non-stick cookware.
The agreements are subject to final approval, 3 M said in a statement. The company did not admit wrongdoing.
3 M's Decatur site director, Michelle Howell, said in a statement that she hoped the deals would strengthen Decatur for the future. Tennessee Riverkeeper called the settlement just a start in a statement. Decatur Mayor Tab Bowling said in a statement that the settlement will fund improvements that will make the environment healthier in Decatur and Morgan County.