3M has entered into a broad nine-year resolution of personal injury claims tied to PFAS chemicals in aqueous film-forming firefighting foam. The company will make a pre-tax nominal commitment of $7.35 billion, with a present value of $5.8 billion, recorded as a fourth-quarter pre-tax charge. The agreement covers about 99% of current claims inside and outside the AFFF Multi-District Litigation in South Carolina, involving approximately 115,000 to 120,000 eligible plaintiffs. Payments include $50 million in 2026, none in 2027 and about 20% in the final two years. Remaining and future claims will be managed through payments contingent on participation, a $680 million reserve fund and an anticipated court order setting evidentiary and timing requirements for future litigants. 3M has said the charge does not change its 2026 guidance and that it can terminate the agreement if participation falls below a specified threshold. The settlement is not an admission of liability; if agreed terms are not fulfilled, 3M said it is prepared to continue defending the litigation. The company previously resolved claims with U.S. public water suppliers in 2023 and with the State of New Jersey. The legacy claims primarily concern PFAS compounds, including PFOS and PFOA, that 3M announced it would voluntarily phase out in 2000. 3M said it discontinued manufacturing all PFAS globally by the end of 2025 and will continue remediating sites where it historically manufactured the chemicals.