New Hampshire Receives First $8 Million Check From 3M Co. PFAS Water Settlement

New Hampshire has received an initial payment of close to $8 million from the 3M Company’s nationwide PFAS settlement of public drinking water systems claims.

Attorney General John M. Formella said the funds will be deposited in the state’s drinking water and groundwater trust fund for distribution to public drinking water systems across the state.

“New Hampshire has led the charge against these emerging health threats, and we will continue to hold those responsible accountable,” Formella said.

The $8 million payment is the first installment of New Hampshire’s approximately $56 million allocation (before attorneys’ fees and litigation costs) of settlement funds from the first phase of the 3M settlement, with an additional allocation of funds scheduled sometime after 2026. A second, larger payment of the first phase is expected near the end of the year with subsequent smaller annual payments continuing through 2033.

The settlement is a result of the state’s ongoing litigation against the manufacturers of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF). New Hampshire filed suit in 2019 on behalf of the citizens and all public water systems against the PFAS and AFFF manufacturers.

The litigation is currently pending in Merrimack County Superior Court and in a multi-district litigation in the federal court in South Carolina. Separate water provider settlements in the federal multi-district litigation with multiple DuPont entities, the Tyco companies, and the BASF Co. are awaiting allocation by the court, according to officials.

New Hampshire officials anticipate an allocation of $6-10 million from these additional settling defendants.

These settlements cover just one category of damages sought by New Hampshire. Formella said the state will continue to seek full recovery for the damages caused by the manufacturers and sellers of PFAS and AFFF.