Chemours, Dupont and Corteva to pay $875 million to settle New Jersey PFAS claims

Chemours, DuPont and Corteva have reached a $875 million settlement with the State of New Jersey to resolve all environmental claims, including those tied to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and historical industrial contamination. The agreement addresses cleanup obligations at four current and former sites and settles broader claims over PFAS discharges across the state, including those linked to aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF).

The payments will be made over 25 years, beginning no earlier than January 2026, with a pre-tax present value of roughly $500 million. The cost will be split based on a 2021 agreement among the firms: Chemours will pay 50%, DuPont 35.5%, and Corteva 14.5%.

The three companies share liability through a corporate history that includes spinoffs and legacy environmental obligations. Chemours, formed from DuPont’s performance chemicals division in 2015, assumed much of the PFAS-related risk. Corteva, an agricultural firm spun out of DowDuPont in 2019, is also party to the cost-sharing arrangements for certain inherited claims.

The settlement includes mechanisms to secure long-term remediation, including site-specific Remediation Funding Sources and a Reserve Fund—backed by surety instruments—capped at $475 million. The fund, to be established by DuPont and Corteva, serves as secondary financial security and is accessible only under limited conditions.

Separately, DuPont and Corteva will pay $150 million to acquire Chemours’ rights to certain insurance proceeds related to PFAS claims. Once that amount is recovered with a fee, Chemours will receive half of any further insurance payouts.

The proposed terms are set out in a Judicial Consent Order, which remains subject to public comment and final court approval under New Jersey law.