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☆ 3M, DuPont defeat massive class action over forever chemicals
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-27 | by ( Clark Mindock | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Andrew Kelly/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNov 27 (Reuters) - A U.S. appeals court on Monday handed 3M (MMM.N), Corteva Inc (CTVA.N) subsidiary E.I. Circuit Court of Appeals vacated a lower court's approval of the massive class action, which included virtually every resident of Ohio and put considerable legal pressure on the chemical manufacturers to settle the plaintiffs' claims. The appeals court instructed the lower court to dismiss Hardwick's lawsuit, which had aimed to force the companies to pay for studies analyzing the health impacts of PFAS. The lawsuit also sought to establish a fund to monitor Ohio residents for health impacts from PFAS exposure. The chemicals are often referred to as forever chemicals because they do not easily break down in nature or in the human body.

Persons: Andrew Kelly, du Pont, du Pont de Nemours, Kevin Hardwick, Clark Mindock, Alexia Garamfalvi Organizations: DuPont de Nemours , Inc, New York Stock Exchange, REUTERS, Corteva Inc, du Pont de, du Pont de Nemours and, Circuit, DuPont, Thomson Locations: Manhattan , New York City, U.S, Ohio, Cincinnati , Ohio, Lincoln

☆ Monsanto hit with $165 million verdict over PCBs in Seattle school
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-22 | by ( Clark Mindock | Companies Need To Integrate Climate Reporting Across Functions To Comply With California S New Law | Henry Engler | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Wolfgang Rattay/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNov 21 (Reuters) - A U.S. jury has ordered Bayer's Monsanto to pay $165 million to employees of a school northeast of Seattle who claimed chemicals made by the company called polychlorinated biphenyls, or PCBs, leaked from light fixtures and got them sick. The award included nearly $50 million in compensatory damages, and $115 million in punitive damages. Monsanto said in a statement that it will contest Monday's verdict, and that blood, air and other tests show the school employees were not exposed to unsafe levels of PCBs. PCBs are chemicals once widely used to insulate electrical equipment and in other common products like carbon copy paper, caulking, floor finish and paint. Employees, students and others have claimed in numerous lawsuits against the company that exposure to PCBs at the Sky Valley center caused their cancers, thyroid conditions and other health problems.

Persons: Wolfgang Rattay, Monsanto, Clark Mindock, Alexia Garamfalvi, Richard Chang Organizations: Bayer AG, REUTERS, Monsanto, Sky Valley Education, Thomson Locations: Leverkusen, Germany, U.S, Seattle, Washington, Sky, Monroe , Washington

REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsCompanies PepsiCo Inc FollowNEW YORK, Nov 15 (Reuters) - New York state sued PepsiCo (PEP.O) on Wednesday, accusing the beverage and snack food giant of polluting the environment and endangering public health through its single-use plastic bottles, caps and wrappers. The lawsuit filed in state court in upstate Erie County is among the first by a U.S. state to target a major plastics producer. "All New Yorkers have a basic right to clean water, yet PepsiCo's irresponsible packaging and marketing endanger Buffalo’s water supply, environment, and public health," she said in a statement. The New York lawsuit also said PepsiCo has deceived consumers by announcing various targets to reduce the amount of non-recycled plastic it uses in packaging, although it has actually increased its usage. The lawsuit seeks to force the Purchase, New York-based company to stop causing a nuisance, clean up contamination and pay for damages caused by plastic waste.

Persons: Shannon Stapleton, Letitia James, PepsiCo, James, Jack, Doritos, Judith Enck, Obama, Clark Mindock, Jonathan Stempel, Chizu Nomiyama, Jonathan Oatis, Alexia Garamfalvi Organizations: Pepsi, REUTERS, PepsiCo, The New, Gatorade, Lay's, Plastics, Environmental Protection Agency, Thomson Locations: New York, U.S, Erie County, Buffalo, The New York, , New York, Fritos, Lipton, Connecticut, Minnesota, . California

☆ ConocoPhillips' $8 billion Willow project approvals upheld by US judge
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-10 | by ( Clark Mindock | Companies Need To Integrate Climate Reporting Across Functions To Comply With California S New Law | Henry Engler | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

REUTERS/Brendan McDermid Acquire Licensing RightsSummaryCompanies US judge upholds approvals for $8 billion Willow projectGroups say they are considering an appealNov 9 (Reuters) - A federal judge in Alaska on Thursday upheld U.S. approvals for ConocoPhillips’ multibillion-dollar Willow oil and gas drilling project in the state’s Arctic, rejecting environmental and tribal groups' concerns that the project poses too large of a climate threat. U.S. District Judge Sharon Gleason in Anchorage dismissed a lawsuit filed by environmental and tribal groups challenging the $8 billion project's approvals, which the U.S. Opponents claim the project would release hundreds of millions of tons of carbon pollution into the atmosphere, aggravating climate change and damaging pristine wilderness. The approvals give ConocoPhillips permission to construct three drill pads, 25.8 miles of gravel roads, an air strip and hundreds of miles of ice roads. The environmental and tribal groups challenged the approvals in two lawsuits filed in March.

Persons: Brendan McDermid, Sharon Gleason, Gleason, Erik Grafe, ConocoPhillips didn't, Joe Biden's, Iñupiat, Ian Dooley, Carole Holley, Earthjustice, Bridget Psarianos, Suzanne Bostrom, Rickey Turner, Paul Turcke, Ryan Steen, Whitney Brown, Jason Morgan, Luke Sanders, Stoel, Clark Mindock Organizations: ConocoPhillips, New York Stock Exchange, REUTERS, ConocoPhillips ’ multibillion, U.S, U.S . Interior Department, Earthjustice, Interior Department, of Land Management, Center for Biological Diversity, Sierra Club, Environmental, of Land, for Biological, District of, Trustees, U.S . Department of Justice, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, Alaska, Anchorage, District of Alaska

☆ US Commercial fishing groups sue tire manufacturers over fish-killing chemical
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-08 | by ( Clark Mindock | Companies Need To Integrate Climate Reporting Across Functions To Comply With California S New Law | Henry Engler | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Nathan Frandino/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNov 8 (Reuters) - U.S. commercial fishing groups on Wednesday sued 13 tire manufacturers in California, saying a chemical used in their tires is poisoning West Coast watersheds and killing rare trout and salmon. The fishing groups said the chemical, which becomes toxic when it degrades, is released from tires as vehicles drive around and park. The tire manufacturers did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Wednesday. In July, California's Department of Toxic Substances Control adopted a rule requiring tire manufacturers to evaluate safer alternatives to 6PPD, noting the threat to coho salmon. Together, the 13 tire manufacturers sued on Wednesday account for 80% of the domestic U.S. tire market, according to the lawsuit.

Persons: Nathan Frandino, Elizabeth Forsyth, Forsyth, Clark Mindock, Alexia Garamfalvi, Sandra Maler Organizations: REUTERS, Wednesday, Institute for Fisheries Resources, Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen's Associations, Bridgestone Corp, Goodyear Tire &, Michelin, Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, California's Department, Toxic Substances, Thomson Locations: Lagunitas, Marin County , California, U.S, California, San Francisco federal, West

Oct 18 (Reuters) - An Alaska state agency on Wednesday sued the Biden administration over its decision to cancel oil and gas leases in the state’s North Slope, one of the country's largest reserves of pristine federal land. Interior Department’s Sept. 6 decision to scrap seven oil and gas leases in Alaska’s 19 million-acre (7.7 million-hectare) Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, an area that is acutely vulnerable to climate change and home to grizzly and polar bears, herds of moose and snowy owls. The canceled leases were sold during the waning days of the Trump administration following a decades-long effort by Alaska officials to open up drilling in the refuge and bolster the state's petroleum-reliant economy. The state agency emerged as the sole bidder for most of the acreage after major oil and gas companies chose to skip the sale in 2020, which generated around $14.4 million. The two other entities that won leases at the 2020 sale withdrew from their holdings in 2022.

Persons: ”, Mike Dunleavy, Trump, Clark Mindock, Alexia Garamfalvi, Jamie Freed Organizations: Wednesday, Biden, Washington , D.C, U.S . Interior, Wildlife Refuge, Alaska Industrial Development, Export Authority, U.S, District of Columbia, Republican, U.S . Interior Department, Department, Thomson Locations: Alaska, Washington ,, U.S, Alaska’s, Republican Alaska, North

☆ US judge refuses to overturn Exxon permit denial to truck crude oil in California
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-27 | by ( Clark Mindock | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Yuri Gripas/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsCompanies Exxon Mobil Corp FollowSept 27 (Reuters) - A U.S. judge on Wednesday refused to overturn a California county's decision to block Exxon Mobil Corp (XOM.N) from using tanker trucks to ship crude oil from coastal facilities to inland refineries while a ruptured pipeline is fixed. The company has said trucks are "essential" to restarting three offshore oil platforms and an onshore oil processing facility that have been shuttered since the spill. Gee's decision did not address Exxon's claims that the board's decision amounted to an unconstitutional taking of the company's property and other constitutional claims. Attorney Linda Kropp, who represented several of those groups, said Exxon's trucking plan is "reckless, dangerous and totally unwelcome" and said it puts the community at risk of oil tanker crashes. Exxon had sued in May 2022, alleging the board's denial was a "prejudicial abuse of discretion."

Persons: Yuri Gripas, Dolly Gee, Exxon's, Gee, Linda Kropp, Clark Mindock, Alexia Garamfalvi, Chris Reese Organizations: Exxon, Colonial Pipeline, REUTERS, Companies Exxon Mobil Corp, Exxon Mobil Corp, Santa Barbara County, Supervisors, Sierra Club, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, U.S, California, Los Angeles, Santa, Santa Barbara

Cain's Sept. 22 order had been celebrated by the oil and gas industry, which had sued in August alongside the state of Louisiana over an earlier decision by the Interior Department to scale back the auction. Representatives for the Interior Department, environmental groups, the Louisiana attorney general's office and the American Petroleum Institute did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The Interior Department finalized plans for a reduced lease sale in August, after last year's Inflation Reduction Act mandated the auction move forward. The sale made about 67 million acres in the Gulf available for bids. Those groups had claimed the whales can be harmed or killed by oil spills, vessel strikes, noise, marine debris and other impacts of oil and gas exploration and development.

Persons: Biden, James Cain's, Joe Biden, Nichola Groom, Clark Mindock, Sandra Maler, Alexia Garamfalvi, Richard Chang Organizations: Chevron Corp, Monday, Circuit, U.S . Interior Department, Interior Department, U.S, District, of Ocean Energy Management, American Petroleum Institute, Democratic, Thomson Locations: Gulf of Mexico, New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S

Views from the air of the community of Lahaina after wildfires driven by high winds burned across most of the town several days ago, in Lahaina, Maui, Hawaii, U.S. August 10, 2023. REUTERS/Marco Garcia/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsCompanies Hawaiian Electric Industries Inc FollowSept 5 (Reuters) - The father of a woman who died during last month's wildfires in Hawaii has sued the state and the county of Maui in a “first-of-its-kind” lawsuit accusing the governments of gross negligence leading to the blazes. Filed on Monday in Hawaii state court, the lawsuit is the first stemming from the wildfires to be lodged against the state. Hawaiian Electric, meanwhile, failed to deenergize its electrical equipment during high winds, sparking the fires, the lawsuit said. Reporting by Clark Mindock, Editing by Alexia Garamfalvi and Bill BerkrotOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Marco Garcia, Harold Wells, Wells, Clark Mindock, Alexia Garamfalvi, Bill Berkrot Organizations: REUTERS, Hawaiian Electric Industries, Estate, Bishop Estate, Electric, Thomson Locations: Lahaina, Maui, Hawaii, U.S

Circuit Court of Appeals found that the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission lacked the authority under federal law to issue permits for private, temporary nuclear waste storage sites. Circuit Judge James Ho, writing for the court, agreed with Texas that the Atomic Energy Act does not give the agency the broad authority "to license a private, away-from-reactor storage facility for spent nuclear fuel." Abbott opposed the plan, saying he would not let Texas become "America's nuclear waste dumping ground." The plan for a temporary facility was devised in order to address a growing nuclear waste problem in the United States. The Andrews County site was chosen after efforts to build a permanent storage facility in Nevada fell apart amid fierce local opposition.

Persons: James Ho, William F, Buckley, Jr, Michelle McLoughlin, Ho, Donald Trump, Greg Abbott's, Abbott, Clark Mindock, Will Dunham Organizations: Yale University, REUTERS, Republican, Circuit, Appeals, U.S . Nuclear, Commission, Partners, Atomic Energy, Waste, NRC, Thomson Locations: New Haven , Connecticut, U.S, Texas, New Orleans, Andrews County , Texas, United States, Andrews, Nevada, New York

☆ Hawaiian Electric Industries shares plunge amid deadly Maui wildfire scrutiny
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Hawaiian Electric was last trading down 35% at $20.90. Hawaiian Electric did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Monday. Hawaiian Electric Vice President Jim Kelly told CNN Sunday that the company does not comment on pending litigation. He added that Hawaiian Electric does not have a formal shut-off program and precautionary shut-offs have to be arranged with first responders, CNN reported. Morningstar strategist Andrew Bischof said he was lowering his fair value estimate for Hawaiian Electric Industries to $23 per share from $34 due to the reports.

Persons: Mike Blake, Thomas Hayes, Jim Kelly, ” Kelly, Wells, Morningstar, Andrew Bischof, Wells Fargo, Shreyashi Sanyal, Clark Mindock, Shristi, Brendan O'Brien, Michelle Price, Lisa Shumaker, Alexia Garamfalvi Organizations: REUTERS, Hawaiian Electric Industries, Electric, Great, Washington Post, Maui Electric, National Weather Service, Hawaiian Electric, CNN Sunday, CNN, Morningstar, Thomson Locations: Kula, Maui, Hawaii, U.S, Lahaina, Great Hill, New York, Bengaluru, Chibuike

☆ Montana judge hands historic win to young plaintiffs in climate change case
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-14 | by ( Clark Mindock | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

View of an extension of Denbury Inc's Greencore carbon pipeline which connects to a pump station, in Montana, U.S., 2021. Denbury/Handout via REUTERS/File PhotoAug 14 (Reuters) - Montana is violating the rights of young people with policies that prohibit the state from considering climate change effects when it reviews coal mining, natural gas extraction and other fossil fuel projects, a state judge said Monday. In a June trial, the youths argued that despite its sparse population, Montana is responsible for an outsized share of global emissions. A spokesperson for the Montana attorney general's office called the ruling "absurd," and Seeley an "ideological judge who bent over backward to allow the case to move forward." Julia Olson, an attorney for Our Children's Trust, which represented the young people, called the decision a "huge win for Montana" and said similar decisions were likely to follow in different states.

Persons: Kathy Seeley, hadn't, Seeley, Julia Olson, Clark Mindock, Alexia Garamfalvi, Cynthia Osterman Organizations: REUTERS, Montana, Thomson Locations: Montana , U.S, Handout, Montana, Helena, U.S

It would also limit the need for environmental reviews for projects that federal agencies deem to have significant and long-lasting positive impacts. NEPA is a bedrock environmental law that requires environmental reviews for major projects, and is a frequent focus of litigation that can delay projects for years. The White House said the proposed rule "would fully implement and build upon new permitting efficiencies" directed by Congress in this year's debt ceiling law. The rule would build on initial work to reform the NEPA process finalized last year, when the White House reversed a Trump administration overhaul of the process. Last year's changes required federal agencies to consider the “direct,” “indirect,” and “cumulative” impacts of proposed projects or actions, including a full evaluation of climate impacts.

Persons: John Podesta, Joe Biden’s, ” Podesta, Kevin Cramer, Ben, Clark Mindock Organizations: Council, Environmental, White House, NEPA, Congress, Trump, Republican, Senate Environment, Public, Committee, Sierra Club, Thomson Locations: U.S

The proposed deal would provide funds over a 13-year period to cities, towns and other public water systems to test and treat contamination of PFAS. They also said the deal could shift liability for future health concerns caused by PFAS from 3M onto the water systems themselves. That means the chemical maker could potentially seek compensation from the water systems in future litigation over things like PFAS-related cancer clusters, the states said. 3M, which is facing thousands of lawsuits over PFAS contamination, did not admit liability in the proposed settlement. It said in June that the money will help support remediation at public water systems that detect PFAS "at any level."

Persons: Scott Summy, “, Rob Bonta, Richard Gergel, Clark Mindock, Amy Stevens, Aurora Ellis, Diane Craft Organizations: 3M, District of Columbia, PFAS, U.S, District, New, U.S . Chamber, Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, Thomson Locations: U.S, California, Texas , New York, South Carolina, United States, New York State

The groups in 2022 had challenged the EPA’s decision not to reconsider its 2009 greenhouse gas endangerment finding, which they claim has spurred climate regulations that drive up energy costs. David Wallace, the president of the FAIR Energy Foundation, said the groups are reviewing the decision and are considering an appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court. The EPA’s endangerment finding was finalized in 2009, and determined that six greenhouse gasses, including carbon dioxide and methane, pose a danger to human health. The current challenge claims the finding is based on faulty science and that the EPA's refusal to reconsider it was arbitrary. v. EPA and FAIR Energy Foundation v. EPA, in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, case Nos.

Persons: David Wallace, Harry MacDougald, Caldwell Carlson Elliott, DeLoach, Francis Menton, Brian Lynk, U.S . Department of Justice Read Organizations: Appeals, District of Columbia Circuit, Concerned Household Electricity Consumers Council, FAIR Energy Foundation, U.S, Supreme, EPA, Electricity, U.S ., U.S . Department of Justice, Thomson Locations: U.S

☆ US climate change lawsuit seeks $50 billion, citing 2021 heat wave
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-23 | by ( Clark Mindock | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

June 22 (Reuters) - An Oregon county on Thursday sued Exxon (XOM.N), Chevron (CVX.N), other major oil and coal companies, and industry groups, seeking over $50 billion to counter the harms caused by extreme weather fueled by climate change. It said the companies and trade groups must now help pay for past and future harms from the extreme weather that has resulted, including a 2021 heat wave in the Pacific Northwest that killed dozens. The lawsuit also targets the consulting firm McKinsey, which it said advises major oil companies, including on strategies to downplay or deny the link between greenhouse gas emissions and extreme weather. Since the area normally has mild weather, the lawsuit said residents were not equipped with things like air conditioners to handle the elevated temperatures. The county said 69 people in the county died from overheating and the heat wave caused a "crushing economic burden."

Persons: Theodore Boutrous, Clark Mindock, Alexia Garamfalvi, Matthew Lewis, Diane Craft Organizations: Exxon, Chevron, American Petroleum Institute, McKinsey, U.S, U.S . Constitution, Congress, Thomson Locations: An Oregon, Multnomah County, Portland, Pacific Northwest, U.S ., U.S, United States, New York

June 22 (Reuters) - 3M Co has reached a $10.3 billion settlement with a host of U.S. public water systems to resolve water pollution claims tied to "forever chemicals," the chemical company announced on Thursday. The company said the settlement would provide the funds over a 13-year period to cities, towns and other public water systems to test and treat contamination of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS. 3M, which is facing thousands of lawsuits over PFAS contamination, did not admit liability, and said the money will help support remediation at public water systems that detect PFAS "at any level." "The result is that millions of Americans will have healthier lives without PFAS in their drinking water." 3M had been scheduled to face a test trial in South Carolina federal court earlier this month in a lawsuit brought by Stuart, Florida.

Persons: Scott Summy, Stuart, Brendan Pierson, Clark Mindock, Alexia Garamfalvi, Chris Reese, Daniel Wallis Organizations: 3M, Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, DuPont de Nemours Inc, Corteva Inc, Thomson Locations: U.S, South Carolina, Stuart , Florida, New York

☆ Montana youth ask judge for historic order in climate trial
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-20 | by ( Clark Mindock | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

“This case has received national attention because it has been billed or perceived as a referendum on climate change generally,” he said. Attorneys for the state said during the trial that the youth had failed to target a specific policy upon which real relief could be granted. They said the primary policy targeted by the lawsuit, the Montana Environmental Policy Act, is a “procedural” law that does not mandate specific outcomes. The trial included testimony from the youth plaintiffs who claimed the state’s policies are contributing to extreme heat and drought, shrinking the state’s famed glaciers and worsening wildfires. The case is Held v. Montana, Montana First Judicial District Court, No.

Persons: Kathy Seeley, Nate Bellinger, Seeley, Michael Russell, hadn't, ”, Claire Vlases, Julia Olson, Roger Sullivan, Melissa Hornbein, Michael Russell of, Mark Stermitz, Crowley Fleck, Clark Mindock Organizations: U.S, Montana Department of, McGarvey, Western Environmental Law, Montana Department of Justice, Montana Youth, Thomson Locations: State, Montana, Helena, . Montana , Montana, Hawaii

☆ Judge orders Enbridge to shut down portions of Wisconsin pipeline within three years
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-17 | by ( Clark Mindock | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The pipeline carries 540,000 barrels of oil per day from Canada through the Great Lakes region. An Enbridge spokesperson said on Saturday the company plans to appeal the judge's order. Enbridge said in court filings ahead of the judge's action that a hasty shutdown of the pipeline was unnecessary and would cause "extreme market turmoil." The company has proposed re-routing the pipeline around the tribal reservation, but has not received federal approvals to do so. The judge in November said significant erosion that could cause a rupture was unlikely, but told the parties to develop a shutdown plan anyway.

Persons: William Conley, Conley, Enbridge, Clark Mindock, Will Dunham Organizations: Thomson Locations: U.S, Canadian, Wisconsin, Madison, Canada, United States, New York

☆ Climate change trial pits youths against Montana
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-12 | by ( Clark Mindock | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

They hope that would set an important precedent and encourage lawmakers in the state capital to take greater action to fight climate change, according to their lawyers. Lead plaintiff Rikki Held, 22, testified that climate change has already led to severe conditions on her family's ranch in eastern Montana. And the youth are not challenging policies that would, if invalidated, meaningfully change the state's impact on the climate, Stermitz said. Attorneys for the state had repeatedly attempted to have the case tossed before trial, arguing climate change is an issue best addressed through the political process, not in courtrooms. The case is among several constitutional climate cases on behalf of youth plaintiffs across the U.S., and is the first of those to head to trial.

Persons: Roger Sullivan, Kathy Seeley, Sullivan, Rikki Held, Mark Stermitz, Stermitz, Seeley, Clark Mindock, Alexia Garamfalvi, Bill Berkrot Organizations: Thomson Locations: Montana, Helena, U.S

The judge asked for weekly updates, and said he would reschedule the trial if an agreement is not reached within 21 days. 3M spokesperson Sean Lynch said in a statement the parties are "making material and significant progress toward a resolution of this matter." [1/2] The 3M Global Headquarters in Maplewood, Minnesota, U.S. is photographed on March 4, 2020. It has said in court documents that PFAS have not been linked with health problems at the levels being discovered in drinking water. Bloomberg News reported last Friday that 3M had struck a tentative $10 billion deal with U.S. cities and towns to resolve the PFAS water pollution lawsuits it is facing.

Persons: Stuart, Richard Gergel, Paul Napoli, Sean Lynch, Nicholas Pfosi, Maria Ponnezhath, Clark Mindock, Juby Babu, Akanksha Khushi, Aishwarya Nair, Kim Coghill, Sonali Paul, Sriraj, Devika Syamnath, Alexia Garamfalvi, Marguerita Choy Organizations: 3M, District, Napoli, 3M Global, REUTERS, Bloomberg News, Environmental Protection Agency, DuPont de Nemours Inc, Corteva Inc, Thomson Locations: U.S, Florida, Charleston , South Carolina, South Carolina, Stuart , Florida, Maplewood , Minnesota, Bengaluru, New York

[1/2] The 3M Global Headquarters in Maplewood, Minnesota, U.S. is photographed on March 4, 2020. 3M was scheduled to face trial in South Carolina federal court on Monday in a lawsuit brought by the Florida city accusing the company of manufacturing PFAS, or per- and polyflouroalkyl substances, despite knowing for decades that the chemicals can cause cancer and other ailments. The company and lawyers for the city did not immediately respond to requests for comment. 3M announced in December that it would stop producing PFAS by 2025, amid increased legal and regulatory scrutiny. Bloomberg News reported last Friday that 3M had struck a tentative $10 billion deal with U.S. cities and towns to resolve the PFAS water pollution lawsuits it is facing.

Persons: Nicholas Pfosi, Stuart, Maria Ponnezhath, Clark Mindock, Kim Coghill, Sonali Paul Organizations: 3M Global, REUTERS, 3M, U.S, District, District of South Carolina Charleston Division, DuPont de Nemours Inc, Corteva Inc, Bloomberg News, Thomson Locations: Maplewood , Minnesota, U.S, Stuart, Florida, South Carolina, District of South, Bengaluru, New York

June 2 (Reuters) - 3M Co (MMM.N) has struck a tentative settlement of at least $10 billion with a host of U.S. cities and towns to resolve water pollution claims tied to "forever chemicals," Bloomberg News reported on Friday, citing people familiar with the matter. 3M was scheduled to face trial on Monday against the City of Stuart, Florida. The city has said it is seeking more than $100 million from 3M to pay for water filtration and soil remediation. Litigation over them threatens companies like 3M, DuPont and others with billions of dollars in liabilities. The city claims firefighting foams containing PFAS were regularly sprayed at a local fire station, leading the chemicals to seep into the groundwater.

Persons: DuPont de Nemours Inc DD.N, CTVA.N, Stuart, Priyamvada, Clark Mindock, Brendan Pierson, Devika Syamnath, Alexia Garamfalvi, Matthew Lewis Organizations: Bloomberg, Reuters, DuPont de Nemours Inc, City, 3M, DuPont, Thomson Locations: U.S, DuPont, Stuart , Florida, South Carolina, West Palm Beach , Florida, Bengaluru, New York

☆ Chemical makers settle PFAS-related claims for $1.19 bln
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-02 | by ( Clark Mindock | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The companies, which deny the allegations, said that they expect to finalize a formal agreement by the second quarter of 2023. Chemours said it would contribute half the agreed amount, while the remainder would be provided by DuPont and Corteva. A first trial testing those claims against 3M Co. is scheduled to begin next week. Chemours, DuPont and Corteva were originally included as defendants in that trial, but Gergel removed them from the proceedings last month. The companies also face claims in other courts raised by individuals and by state attorneys general in California, Maryland, Washington and elsewhere.

Persons: Chemours, Richard Gergel, Gergel, Sourasis Bose, Clark Mindock, Shounak Dasgupta, Vinay Dwivedi, Alexia Garamfalvi, Sharon Singleton Organizations: DuPont de Nemours Inc, Corteva Inc, DuPont, Corteva, 3M, U.S, District, Thomson Locations: U.S, South, California , Maryland, Washington, Bengaluru, New York

Starship is SpaceX's next-generation rocket crucial for the company's commercial launch business and Musk's aim to start human colonies on Mars. The U.S. offers few such options and export controls would make building a foreign launch site difficult. SpaceX has eyed another Kennedy Space Center launch site for future Starship launches, LC-49, a few miles from LC-39A. But that location is in the midst of a lengthy environmental review that could take years. Plans for that orbital launch site, Spaceport Camden, were nixed by a local referendum after a lawsuit raised concerns about its environmental impact.

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