In a $2 billion Federal Court case over contamination at 28 Australian defence bases, the Commonwealth alleges 3M withheld its own environmental test results showing significant harm. Its broader claim says the company knew PFAS persisted and posed risks but continued selling firefighting foam; 3M says it will defend the claims. The case was due back in court in October.
It alleges the company withheld the results of its own environmental laboratory testing that shows there were significant adverse environmental effects associated with its PFAS products.
A 1,600-page statement of claim by the Commonwealth alleges a US chemical manufacturer withheld damning environmental and health information about components of its firefighting foam for decades.
A US chemical manufacturer stands accused of withholding evidence that its firefighting products used by the Australian Defence Force were toxic and did not break down in the environment.
3M completed its exit from PFAS manufacturing at the end of 2025, after a corporate overhaul had begun several months earlier. The company agreed in federal court to pay between $10.5 billion and $12.5 billion to settle claims brought by public water suppliers over drinking-water contamination.
The corporate overhaul started several months before 3M completed its exit from manufacturing contaminant PFAS at the end of 2025. The forever chemicals contaminated drinking water and led the company to agree in federal court to pay between $10.5 billion and $12.5 billion to settle claims filed by public water suppliers.
In 2018, 3M agreed to pay $9.1 million to resolve U.S. allegations that it knowingly supplied defective Combat Arms Earplugs without disclosing design problems; the government said liability was not determined. Separately, 3M agreed, without admitting liability, to pay $6 billion to resolve nearly 250,000 injury lawsuits and similar Minnesota claims.
The Department of Justice announced today that 3M Company (3M), headquartered in St. Paul, Minnesota, has agreed to pay $9.1 million to resolve allegations that it knowingly sold the dual-ended Combat Arms Earplugs, Version 2 (CAEv2) to the United States military without disclosing defects that hampered the effectiveness of the hearing protection device.
The parties announced today that, without any admission of liability, 3M Company has agreed to pay $6 billion to resolve the nearly 250,000 lawsuits in the MDL filed by United States military service members, veterans, and commercial users, alleging CAE-related injuries from use of the CAE for hearing protection. The Settlement also involves thousands of similar CAE claims in Minnesota state court.
BBC investigators reported that Swansea factory workers used 3M firefighting foam without being told of its PFOS/PFOA risks, and that a 2006 spill contaminated a local waterway. The BBC cited soil and water test results and said remediation was recently completed. 3M described worker safety as a priority and said it had phased out the chemicals.
Multi-billion-pound US manufacturer, 3M, failed to tell employees at its Swansea site they were using foam containing two forever chemicals, now classed as carcinogenic, despite knowing for decades of the health risks.
Dozens of factory workers were exposed to toxic chemicals within firefighting foam over decades, BBC File on 4 Investigates can reveal.
The EPA’s account says 3M’s Pollution Prevention Pays program had prevented more than 2.6 billion pounds of pollutants and saved more than $1 billion, based on each project’s first-year data. For 2000–2005, 3M reported exceeding its targets for air emissions, toxic releases, energy efficiency, waste reduction and pollution-prevention projects.
3M is widely recognized as a pioneer in corporate pollution prevention. In 2005, 3M’s Pollution Prevention Pays (3P) program celebrated its 30th anniversary. Over the last 31 years, the program has prevented more than 2.6 billion pounds of pollutants and saved more than $1 billion based on aggregated data from the first year of each 3P project. The 3P program helps prevent pollution at the source—in products and manufacturing processes—rather than removing it after it has been created. 3P projects typically focus on product reformulation, process modification, equipment redesign, or recycling and reuse of waste materials. As of 2006, 3M employees worldwide have completed more than 6,300 3P projects.
In November 2026, 3M agreed to pay $7.35 billion over nine years to settle claims by as many as 120,000 people alleging health effects from PFAS in firefighting foam. The agreement includes a reserve for future claims; 3M did not admit liability. The company said it would reduce litigation uncertainty, while plaintiffs’ attorneys welcomed the settlement.
Manufacturing giant 3M has agreed to a $7.35 billion settlement over personal injury claims related to its manufacture of “forever chemicals” used in firefighting foam. The settlement comes as the company has faced thousands of lawsuits over these chemicals, which have been linked to health issues including cancer and problems related to the immune system, thyroid and fertility. Forever chemicals is the nickname for perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, also called PFAS, because they linger in the environment for hundreds or thousands of years instead of breaking down. One major application of these chemicals has been military-grade firefighting foam, use of which has led to significant environmental pollution. Many lawsuits related to the firefighting foam have been consolidated into what’s called multidistrict litigation. 3M said this week that it expects the settlement will cover between 115,000 and 120,000 plaintiffs and address 99 percent of personal injury claims. The company separately settled claims from public water systems for more than $10 billion in 2023. 3M Chair and CEO William Brown said in a statement the settlement is “a significant milestone for 3M and substantially reduces litigation uncertainty." "Following our 2023 resolution with U.S. public water suppliers and our more recent settlement with the State of New Jersey, this is another important step in managing legacy PFAS matters,” Brown added. Meanwhile, attorneys for people who sued the company said this week’s settlement represented accountability. “For the thousands of victims who have sought answers and accountability for nearly a decade, 3M’s $7.35 billion settlement is welcome news,” Motley Rice attorneys Fred Thompson and David Hoyle said in a written statement. They called the outcome a “favorable result for victims who are in urgent need of support to cover the mounting medical bills and other costs frequently associated with toxic PFAS exposure."
Chemical manufacturer 3M says it will pay more than $7 billion to settle thousands of claims from people who say they were sickened by firefighting foam containing so-called “forever chemicals.”
Filed Aug. 26, 2026, in Dakota County District Court, Hastings’ lawsuit alleges PFAS from 3M’s Cottage Grove facility contaminated its public wells and that 3M concealed the link. The city seeks treatment costs expected to reach tens of millions of dollars. 3M called the suit unfortunate and said it remains willing to discuss concerns.
A 3M spokesperson said the company has led the industry in addressing PFAS in the environment, and discontinued making PFAS globally last year.
On March 9, 2022, 3M announced it would suspend all business operations in Russia after reassessing its business there, citing the safety of employees and their families. The company had 600 employees in Russia, including staff at two manufacturing facilities, and 38 employees in Ukraine.
Wednesday afternoon, the company announced: "After re-assessing our business in Russia, we have decided to suspend all business operations there. Our focus continues to be on the safety of our colleagues and their families."
On May 6, 2020, the U.S. Department of Defense said it had awarded 3M a $126 million contract, coordinated with HHS, to increase production by 26 million N95 masks per month starting in October. 3M was to expand its South Dakota facility and begin production in Wisconsin, adding at least 312 million respirators annually within 12 months.
3M will design, procure, and implement necessary production facilities and equipment to expedite existing delivery schedule and increase N95 respirator production by at least 312 million annually within the next twelve months.
In an Oct. 8, 2026 report, the Star Tribune said 3M was reorganizing customer service around global hubs, leaving hundreds of employees facing potential layoffs. 3M had not disclosed the number or locations of affected jobs; employees feared some U.S. roles could move overseas, while the company said changes would come in phases and could continue through 2028.
Hundreds of 3M employees are facing potential layoff as the Minnesota company reorganizes its customer service division under a new global hub in the Philippines.
The EEOC alleged 3M laid off hundreds of workers over 45 in reductions in force from 2003 to 2006, and denied older employees leadership training. 3M agreed to a proposed decree providing $3 million to about 290 former employees and preventive measures; the settlement was pending court approval when announced in 2011.
The EEOC's suit charged that 3M unlawfully laid off hundreds of employees over the age of 45 during a series of reductions in force (RIFs) from July 1, 2003 through Dec. 31, 2006. 3M laid off many highly paid older employees, among others, apparently to save money and cut workers in salaried positions up to the level of director, the agency said. The EEOC also asserted that older employees were denied leadership training and laid off to make way for younger leaders. The agency's investigation found an employee e-mail describing then-CEO Jim McNerney's "vision for leadership development" as "we should be developing 30 year olds with General Manager potential" and "He wants us to tap into the youth as participants in the leadership development."
In August 2023, 3M agreed to pay more than $6.5 million to resolve SEC charges over books-and-records and internal-controls violations. The SEC found that subsidiary employees arranged overseas trips, including tourism, for Chinese government officials to induce product purchases, and concealed the activities. 3M neither admitted nor denied the findings.
The SEC’s order finds that employees of a 3M wholly owned subsidiary based in China arranged for Chinese government officials employed by state-owned health care facilities to attend overseas conferences, educational events, and health care facility visits, ostensibly as part of the Chinese subsidiary’s marketing and outreach efforts. However, the arrangements to attend the events were often a pretext to provide the Chinese government officials with overseas travel, including tourism activities, to induce them to purchase 3M products.
The SEC’s order found that employees of a 3M subsidiary based in China often made arrangements for Chinese government officials employed by state-owned health-care facilities to induce them to purchase 3M products through overseas travel and tourism activities, according to the commission.
An EPA document titled “EPA Settlement Reached for 3M to Sample and Treat Drinking Water” concerns the 3M Cordova PFAS investigation in Cordova, Illinois, and is dated November 2022. The supplied material gives no further terms or outcome details.
<table> <tbody><tr><td>Title:</td><td>EPA Settlement Reached for 3M to Sample and Treat Drinking Water 3M Cordova PFAS Investigation Cordova, Illinois November 2022</td><td>2022</td></tr></tbody></table>
In an Australian PFAS case, the Commonwealth alleges 3M had information about PFAS properties and risks but did not adequately warn purchasers of its firefighting foam or advise how to limit releases. 3M said it never manufactured PFAS in Australia, stopped selling the products at issue about two decades ago, and would defend itself. The matter was due back in court Oct. 16.
In 1981, 3M implemented and publicly announced a policy of not permitting women "of child bearing potential" to work at its Decatur, Alabama plant, "so they will not be exposed to a type of fluorochemical that can cause birth defects in rats".
3M announced that pension-eligible non-union U.S. employees will keep accruing benefits until Dec. 31, 2028, when the pension plans for 3M and its future independent health care company are to be frozen. The change does not affect vested former employees, retirees or people receiving annuity payments. CEO Mike Roman said employees received five years’ notice.
3M says it will freeze US pension plans for non-union US employees, effective Dec. 31, 2028.
On May 1, 2024, a federal judge found that a Black woman who worked for 3M had not adequately alleged disparate treatment, a hostile work environment or retaliation over a transfer, leaving most of her race- and sex-discrimination claims unable to proceed. The report says 3M had not asked the court to dismiss her sexual-harassment claim.
3M Co. is free of most claims in a lawsuit that says it discriminated and retaliated against a Black woman because of her race and sex after a federal judge found some allegations insufficient to move forward.
On June 2, 2025, Minnesota’s Court of Appeals reversed dismissal of Samantha Wakasugi’s suit, finding a genuine factual dispute over whether 3M selected her for layoff because of her pregnancy and planned leave. Wakasugi alleges discrimination; 3M says the layoff was necessary and based solely on skills assessments. The case returns to district court.
Samantha Wakasugi was fired one month before giving birth to a baby girl; she alleges the company made that decision because it was convenient.
At its May 2011 annual meeting, 3M shareholders backed the board and rejected proposals seeking greater accountability for political contributions and a review of 3M’s seat on the U.S. Chamber of Commerce board. The company did not disclose vote totals. CEO George Buckley defended support for Republican Tom Emmer and continued Chamber involvement.
Stockholders sided with 3M's board and defeated a proposal seeking more accountability on political contributions and another asking the company to reevaluate its position on the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's board. The company did not provide vote totals. Both proposals were aimed at 3M's support of conservative causes, including its $100,000 contribution last year to MN Forward, a group that supported Republican Tom Emmer in the governor's race.
OpenSecrets’ 2024 summary lists 3M at No. 421 among 9,200 organizations and reports lobbying spending of $1.72 million in 2024, compared with $1.06 million in 2023. The same record lists $684,810, without making clear in the supplied evidence which period that amount covers.
An OpenSecrets table lists 3M lobbying reports during the 118th Congress on bills covering public-health preparedness, defense appropriations, patent eligibility, tax relief and other subjects. It records four reports on several measures and fewer on others; the supplied evidence does not identify 3M’s specific positions on the bills.
<table> <thead> <tr> <th>Bill Number</th> <th>Congress</th> <th>Title</th> <th>No. of Reports & Specific Issues*</th> </tr> </thead> <tbody> <tr> <td>H.R.4420 </td> <td>118</td> <td>To reauthorize certain programs under the Public Health Service Act with respect to public health security and all-hazards preparedness and response related to the Centers for Disease Control and Protection, and for other purposes.</td> <td>4</td> </tr> <tr> <td>S.2587 </td> <td>118</td> <td>Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2024</td> <td>4</td> </tr> <tr> <td>S.2140 </td> <td>118</td> <td>Patent Eligibility Restoration Act of 2023</td> <td>4</td> </tr> <tr> <td>H.R.4365 </td> <td>118</td> <td>Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2024</td> <td>4</td> </tr> <tr> <td>H.R.4421 </td> <td>118</td> <td>To reauthorize certain programs under the Public Health Service Act with respect to public health security and all-hazards preparedness and response related to the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response, and for other purposes.</td> <td>4</td> </tr> <tr> <td>H.R.3684 </td> <td>118</td> <td>Douglas Mike Day Psychedelic Therapy to Save Lives Act of 2023</td> <td>4</td> </tr> <tr> <td>H.R.4370 </td> <td>118</td> <td>To amend title 35, United States Code, to invest in inventors in the United States, maintain the United States as the leading innovation economy in the world, and protect the property rights of the inventors that grow
FEC records show 3M Company PAC, an active corporation PAC registered in 1978, reported $247,529 in receipts and $404,048 in disbursements for Jan. 1, 2025–Oct. 14, 2026. The committee reported $287,210 in contributions to other committees and no independent expenditures for that period.
OpenSecrets data said 11 of 3M Co.’s 18 lobbyists in 2023—61.11%—had previously held government jobs. The source also listed $1.72 million, without specifying in the supplied evidence what that figure represents.
11 out of 18 3M Co lobbyists in 2023 have previously held government jobs.
The supplied HRC listing for 3M shows a score of 5 out of 5 and component totals of 50 out of 50 and 25 out of 25. The evidence does not identify the assessment year or explain the scoring categories.
On January 25, 2026, more than 60 Minnesota-based CEOs, including 3M’s chief executive, signed a letter calling for an immediate de-escalation and cooperation among local, state and federal officials after Alex Pretti was killed by a Border Patrol officer. The letter did not name ICE or Border Patrol; some critics called it belated and insufficient.
Dozens of Minnesota’s biggest business leaders released a letter after Minneapolis resident Alex Pretti was killed by ICE agents.
On September 3, 2025, a federal judge ruled for 3M in a former employee’s suit over the denial of two religious exemptions from its COVID-19 vaccine mandate. Judge Jennifer P. Wilson said 3M provided ample, undisputed evidence that exempting patient support specialist Hannah Cleckner would cause undue hardship because health-care facilities barred unvaccinated vendors.
3M Co. prevailed in a lawsuit brought by a former employee who claimed she was discriminated against when her two requests for religious exemptions from the company’s Covid-19 vaccine mandate were denied.
On October 2, 2024, the EPA announced a settlement with 3M over alleged hazardous-waste storage violations at its Cordova, Illinois, facility. 3M must pay a $125,900 civil penalty and correct the violations to improve worker safety. The EPA alleged unpermitted storage beyond 90 days and failures involving inspections, equipment and records.
CHICAGO (Oct. 02, 2024) —Today, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced a settlement with 3M Co. to resolve alleged violations of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act at the company’s facility in Cordova, Illinois. The settlement requires 3M to pay a $125,900 civil penalty and correct the violations to help improve worker safety.
3M recognized its LGBTQ+ employee group as an Employee Resource Network in 1991. The group later advocated for sexual-orientation protections, domestic-partner benefits, gender-identity protections, inclusive health coverage and parental leave. 3M Pride also supports members across global and manufacturing sites and partners with community organizations, according to the article.
However, it was not until 1991 when 3M Pride (at the time, “3M EAGLES”) was recognized as one of the company’s Employee Resource Networks. LGBTQ+ employees have always been with this cornerstone company from its Maplewood headquarters to its facilities across the state and around the world.
Once 3M EAGLES became established, LGBTQ+ employees were being recognized with key benefits and policies that made working at the company even better. According to Buchanan, the ERN in 1992, “advocated successfully for sexual orientation to be included in 3M’s harassment and EEO policies.” They became one of the first companies to implement such policies in American business.
And, yet, 3M Pride does so much more beyond its campuses and facilities worldwide. “We are all about outreach from 3M to our community,” Buchanan explains. “We are working with the local community to give back some of our resources, time, and expertise to organizations that can benefit.”
3M submitted a WARN Act letter on Oct. 19, 2026, announcing plans to shutter its manufacturing facility in Fairmont, Minnesota. The notice said 62 workers would be laid off and operations were expected to end by Dec. 31. The article described the closure as part of 3M’s efforts to streamline operations and cut costs.
Major manufacturing companies also announced layoffs. 3M submitted a WARN Act letter on Oct. 19 announcing its plans to shutter its manufacturing facility in Fairmont, Minnesota.
LePage’s alleged that 3M used rebates tied to purchases across product lines to make it harder for private-label tape to compete with Scotch. A jury found for LePage’s on Sherman Act monopoly-maintenance claims, awarding more than $22 million before trebling; the en banc Third Circuit affirmed. The U.S. urged the Supreme Court to deny 3M’s review petition, citing unresolved legal and factual questions.
The challenged bundled rebate programs "offered discounts to certain customers conditioned on purchases spanning" multiple product lines, with the size of the rebate de-pendent on the customer's success in meeting 3M-established growth targets for the individual product lines. Pet. App. 21a. LePage's contended those bundled rebates helped 3M maintain its monopoly, because failure to meet the target for one product (such as tape) could cause a customer to lose rebates across multiple products. Ibid. To make a purchase of LePage's private label tape financially attractive to a potential customer, LePage's alleged, it would not be sufficient to match 3M's price on similar tape. Rather, LePage's would have to reduce its private label tape price by an amount sufficient to compensate the purchaser for the loss of rebates based on the far larger volume of purchases the customer made on the full range of 3M products (including Scotch tape and non-tape products). Id. at 87a. 3M's strategy, LePage's alleged, was designed to forestall competition to its higher priced Scotch brand from private label tape. Id. at 30a.
In April 2006, 3M reached an EPA settlement over 244 counts of alleged Toxic Substances Control Act reporting violations that the company had voluntarily disclosed. 3M neither admitted nor denied violations, and EPA made no substantive determination in all but 10 instances. 3M paid a $1,521,481 penalty and reported correcting multiple violations following a company-wide audit.
3M voluntarily disclosed all of the violations covered by this settlement under the terms of a TSCA corporate-wide audit agreement. Under the terms of the settlement, 3M neither admitted nor denied that it had violated TSCA and EPA made no substantive determination in all but 10 instances. 3M had previously agreed and subsequently performed a comprehensive management systems review of 28 separate business units and facilities and to determine the compliance status of all TSCA-regulated chemicals and processes. 3M agreed to pay a $1,521,481 penalty for 244 separate counts under TSCA. As a result of the audit, 3M has corrected a number of violations, including failures to notify EPA on new chemicals, late reporting on substantial risk information, and other reporting violations. During the course of the audit, 3M produced valuable, previously unreported information that will help the scientific community to better understand the presence of toxic substances in the environment.
In April 2019, 3M settled a California Air Resources Board case for $12,000. The board said a sample of 3M Headliner & Fabric Adhesive exceeded the volatile-organic-compound limit for Web Spray Adhesive, causing an estimated 0.6 tons of excess emissions. Before notification, 3M had modified the product to meet the Headliner Adhesive category.
3M Company (St. Paul, Minnesota) sold, supplied, and/or offered for sale a non-compliant Web Spray Adhesive in California. Enforcement staff purchased a sample of 3M Headliner & Fabric Adhesive that contained concentrations of volatile organic compounds (VOC) that exceeded the 40 percent limit for the Web Spray Adhesive category specified in title 17 California Code of Regulations section 94509(a). The violation resulted in 0.6 tons of excess VOC emissions, based upon the formulation and the sales information provided by 3M. Prior to the California Air Resources Board’s notification of the violation, the product was modified to conform to the Headliner Adhesive category.
ProPublica’s 527 Explorer records a $25,000 contribution from 3M Company to the Republican State Leadership Committee, dated September 5, 2023. The database describes the recipient as a tax-exempt political organization whose primary purpose is influencing elections.