BASF will settle PFAS lawsuits related to Ciba acquisition

BASF has agreed to pay $316.5 million to settle lawsuits filed by public water systems that detected per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in their drinking-water sources. Some PFAS-based film-forming foam products, used in firefighting, incorporated a surfactant produced by Ciba Specialty Chemicals, which BASF acquired in 2009. The US District Court for the District of South Carolina must approve the settlement. Last year, 3M agreed to pay $10.3 billion to settle the same lawsuits. Three related companies—Chemours, DuPont, and Corteva Agriscience—agreed to pay a total of $1.2 billion.