3M to pay $10.3 billion settlement for water contamination claims.

3M will pay at least $10.3 billion to settle lawsuits over contamination of many U.S. public drinking water systems with potentially harmful compounds used in firefighting foam and a host of consumer products. The deal would compensate water providers for pollution with per- and polyfluorinated substances (PFAS), known collectively as "forever chemicals" because they don't degrade naturally in the environment and have been linked to a variety of health problems. The settlement will be paid over 13 years and could reach as high as $12.5 billion, depending on how many public water systems detect PFAS during testing that EPA has required in the next three years.