For such lawsuits and settlement negotiations, 3M set aside $ 214 million in the last three months of last year, the company announced when presenting its quarterly figures. Throughout 2019, the cost of PFAS disputes amounted to $ 762 million.
PFAS also caused turmoil in the Netherlands last year, because the government introduced such a strict maximum value for the substances that builders were barely allowed to transport soil. That maximum value has since been extended.
Partly due to the higher legal costs, 3M recorded a lower profit in the fourth quarter. 969 million euros remained under the line, compared to more than 1.3 billion dollars in the same period last year. Reorganization costs also took a bite out of the profit. Turnover increased by 2.1 percent to $ 8.1 billion, mainly due to acquisitions.
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