State awards $20M from 3M settlement over ‘forever chemicals’ to improve habitat, recreation

By Kirsti Marohn | MPR News | July 4, 2026

Read the full article by Kirsti Marohn (MPR News)

"More than two dozen projects to restore wildlife habitat or improve outdoor recreation will receive money from Minnesota's 2018 settlement with 3M over PFAS, sometimes known as "forever chemicals."

The projects include park improvements, fishing programs and stream restorations in the Twin Cities east metro and downstream areas of the Mississippi and St. Croix rivers. They’ll receive a total of $20 million.

PFAS — or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances — are human-made chemicals that resist breaking down in the environment. Studies have linked exposure to PFAS to several health problems, including kidney and thyroid disease, liver damage, low birth weight and cancer."