Bellwether ‘forever chemicals’ trial postponed as parties say they’re close to deal

A major trial over contamination from toxic “forever chemicals” has been postponed as both manufacturer 3M and a city seeking damages say they are close to reaching a deal.

A federal trial brought by the city of Stuart, Fla., against 3M was slated to begin Monday, but it will now be postponed 21 days, according to a new order from Judge Richard Gergel.

The order comes after both sides said that they were making progress in negotiations in a joint motion and asked for a delay. 

Bloomberg recently reported that 3M had reached a settlement of at least $10 billion. A spokesperson for the company declined to say whether this was true, saying “we don’t comment on rumors or speculation.”

Meanwhile, DuPont, Chemours and Corteva announced on Friday that they reached a separate tentative settlement totaling nearly $1.2 billion with water providers who sued over the chemicals.

Stuart’s claims had previously been selected as the first “bellwether” case out of hundreds of claims against manufacturers of the chemicals. 

Bellwether cases are seen as test cases in which both accusers and the accused can see how legal issues will play out in order to make decisions about future litigation. 

The case in question pertains to cleanup costs for the chemicals, which are also known as PFAS.

PFAS, which stands for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are the name of a group of chemicals that have been linked to health issues including kidney and testicular cancer, thyroid disease and high cholesterol. 

The substances can be found in a variety of products, ranging from Teflon pans to firefighting foam used by the military to waterproof apparel and cosmetics. 

They have also become pervasive in both human beings and waterways. They can be found in the blood of 97 percent of Americans according to the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. An analysis last year also found them in 83 percent of the waterways that it tested. 

Updated at 2:07 p.m.