Chemours, DuPont, and Corteva to pay $875 million to New Jersey for PFAS contamination across former sites and firefighting foam use.
Chemours, DuPont, and Corteva have agreed to a landmark $875 million settlement with the state of New Jersey to resolve a series of environmental lawsuits concerning the contamination caused by PFAS, commonly referred to as "forever chemicals." Announced jointly by the three chemical manufacturers, the settlement is designed to address historical and widespread PFAS pollution across the state, including contamination at four former manufacturing sites—Chambers Works, Parlin, Pompton Lakes, and Repauno—as well as PFAS releases stemming from the use of aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF), a firefighting product.
This settlement will be paid over a period of 25 years, with initial payments beginning no later than 30 days after a court approves the Judicial Consent Order, but not before January 1, 2026. According to the agreement, $16.5 million of the total amount will be allocated for PFAS contamination not directly tied to the companies' activities. Within that, approximately $4.1 million will address damages specifically linked to AFFF usage. The net present value of this financial package is calculated at around $500 million, before taxes.
The division of financial responsibility among the companies is based on a prior arrangement from January 2021: Chemours will contribute 50% (roughly $250 million), DuPont will cover 35.5% (about $177 million), and Corteva will be responsible for the remaining 14.5% (around $72 million).
In addition to monetary compensation, the agreement includes several measures to ensure long-term environmental remediation. For each affected site, a dedicated Remediation Funding Source will be created and backed by financial guarantees. DuPont and Corteva will also establish a $475 million Reserve Fund to serve as a supplementary safeguard for future liabilities.
Another component of the settlement involves insurance recovery rights. DuPont and Corteva will assume Chemours’ future insurance claims related to PFAS for a payment of $150 million. Once that amount is recovered, including accrued interest, Chemours will be entitled to receive 50% of any subsequent insurance proceeds.
This settlement is the latest in a series of high-profile PFAS-related legal resolutions involving the three companies. In 2023, Chemours, DuPont, and Corteva collectively paid $1.19 billion to settle claims from U.S. water utilities and an additional $110 million to the state of Ohio. Additionally, 3M separately agreed to a massive $10.3 billion settlement over similar issues involving PFAS-contaminated drinking water.
PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are a group of synthetic chemicals valued for their resistance to heat, water, and oil. However, their environmental persistence and links to adverse health effects have led to growing legal scrutiny. The New Jersey settlement is currently undergoing a period of public comment and awaits final court approval.
