Judge Weighing 3M’s $10 Billion PFAS Offer Frets Over Bankruptcy

The federal judge overseeing claims alleging harm from PFAS pollution praised the years-long effort that resulted in 3M Co. offering at least $10.5 billion to public water systems, but warned the company’s potential bankruptcy looms over the case.

Judge Richard M. Gergel, of the US District Court for the District of South Carolina, held the final fairness hearing on Friday for the settlement, which would relieve 3M of uncertainty about its liability while offering an estimated 12,000 public water systems money to pay for their removal of PFAS from drinking water serving millions of people.

“There are parts of ...