3M ($MMM) agrees to settle PFAS lawsuit for up to $7.35 billion

3M ($MMM) signed a settlement of up to $7.35 billion to resolve personal injury claims tied to PFAS exposure from firefighting foam, disclosing the agreement with plaintiffs' negotiating counsel in an SEC filing. The company pegged the nominal commitment at $7.35 billion and the present value at $5.8 billion, with payments scheduled from 2026 through 2034 and actual amounts and timing contingent on claimant participation and other conditions. The deal addresses claims inside and around the AFFF multi-district litigation and follows 3M's earlier PFAS-related settlements. The size of the obligation matters for 3M's long-tail chemical liability exposure and cash planning through the next decade. What to watch next is claimant participation rates and whether the conditional payment terms hold, which will determine the ultimate cash outlay versus the nominal figure.