$2.5 Billion New Jersey Water Contamination Settlement Reached With DuPont Over PFAS Dumping

Settlement addresses decades of PFAS contamination tied to DuPont’s operations at four New Jersey sites.

DuPont has agreed to pay $2.5 billion to settle environmental claims over the dumping of toxic “forever chemicals” into New Jersey waterways.

In a press release issued on August 4, DuPont announced a settlement resolving all environmental claims brought by the state of New Jersey against the company and its spinoffs, Chemours and Corteva, over PFAS contamination at four sites across the state.

PFAS are a class of more than 9,000 synthetic chemicals commonly used in manufacturing due to their resistance to heat, oil, water and grease. They have been widely incorporated into consumer packaging, industrial materials and firefighting foams, particularly aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF), which is used to extinguish fuel-based fires.

However, research has linked PFAS exposure to a variety of serious health risks, including testicular and kidney cancers, hormonal disruptions, ulcerative colitis and other long-term problems. As a result of these findings, PFAS water contamination lawsuits have been brought nationwide against chemical manufacturers like 3M, Chemguard, Tyco Fire Products and DuPont, alleging that individuals and communities were exposed to the substances through drinking water sources contaminated by the companies.

In addition, thousands of firefighters and military personnel have also filed AFFF lawsuits against many of the same defendants, alleging that repeated contact with PFAS-based firefighting foam during training and emergency response contributed to cancer diagnoses and other chronic illnesses.

The proposed settlement resolves all state claims tied to PFAS contamination at four New Jersey industrial sites, including: 

• The Chambers Works site in Deepwater 
• The Parlin site in Sayreville
• The Pompton Lakes site
• The Repauno site in Gibbstown

Under the settlement terms, DuPont, Chemours and Corteva have agreed to jointly contribute approximately $2.5 billion to a Water Systems Settlement Fund, which will be managed by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP). The fund is intended to support the cleanup of PFAS contamination in both public drinking water systems and private wells throughout the state.

Chemours will be responsible for 50% of the payment, while DuPont will contribute 38%, and Corteva will pay the remaining 12%. The funds will be disbursed over the next 25 years, although the agreement allows for accelerated payments under certain conditions.

In exchange for the funding, the state will release the companies from liability for natural resource damages, civil penalties and cleanup obligations related specifically to PFAS contamination at the four designated sites.

The companies have not admitted liability under the agreement. DuPont and its spinoffs remain subject to other regulatory orders and may still face enforcement actions for non-PFAS-related violations.

The final settlement remains contingent upon approval by the court. However, New Jersey state officials have already called the $2.5 billion environmental settlement one of the largest ever reached by a U.S. state.

PFAS Water Contamination Lawsuits

Despite the proposed New Jersey settlement, more than 10,000 lawsuits remain pending nationwide over PFAS exposure through contaminated drinking water. 

The lawsuits, filed by firefighters, residents and municipalities, have been centralized in a federal multidistrict litigation (MDL) in the U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina, where Judge Richard M. Gergel is presiding over coordinated pretrial proceedings.

A series of bellwether trials is set to begin in October 2025, starting with claims from individuals who say they developed cancer after drinking PFAS-contaminated water near military bases and firefighter training sites. 

While the outcomes of these early trials won’t be binding on other cases, they are expected to heavily influence future settlement negotiations and help establish the potential value of PFAS and AFFF-related claims.

Learn more about AFFF and PFAS drinking water lawsuits.