The Village of Hoosick Falls expects to receive an estimated $3 million over three years as a result of a national class action settlement related to PFAS.

The nearly $12 billion settlement involves PFAS manufacturer 3M and DuPont. 

The 3M settlement first announced in June came in a lawsuit by Stuart, Florida, one of about 300 communities that had filed similar suits against companies that produced firefighting foam or the PFAS it contained. The payment will help cover the costs of filtering PFAS from systems.

“We were able to take this terrible experience and show people and communities what can happen if you come together over a really, really important issue and push with all of your might in every possible way, you can to make improvements on awareness on regulations," said Hoosick Falls Mayor Rob Allen.

Described as “forever chemicals” because they don’t degrade naturally in the environment, PFAS have been linked to a variety of health problems, including liver and immune-system damage and some cancers.

The compounds have been detected at varying levels in drinking water around the nation. The Environmental Protection Agency in March 2023 proposed strict limits on two common types, PFOA and PFOS, and said it wanted to regulate four others. Water providers would be responsible for monitoring their systems for the chemicals.

This settlement is separate from and unrelated to the village's ongoing discussions and legal matters with Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics and Honeywell International.