Ocean County officials are calling on the State of New Jersey to reject the proposed PFOS/PFOA settlement in its current form unless counties are granted direct control over how the funds are distributed and used.
In May 2025, the State announced a proposed $450 million settlement with 3M to address contamination from PFOS and PFOA—known as “forever chemicals.” Under the proposal, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) would retain full authority over the settlement dollars and decide how they are allocated statewide.
Ocean County Commissioner Robert S. Arace, who is leading the effort on behalf of the Board of Commissioners, said local governments should have a direct role in managing the funds to ensure resources go to communities most heavily affected by PFAS contamination.
“We are seeing a growing PFAS plume moving through our groundwater,” Arace said. “As more municipal wells are affected, our towns are being forced to install costly treatment systems just to protect drinking water. If the settlement funds are held solely by the DEP, our local officials are in the dark and our residents are left waiting.”
“Ocean County’s towns know their systems, their infrastructure, and their residents,” he added. “They know what remediation is required because they’ve been confronting this issue firsthand. Local leaders must be at the table, not on the sidelines, when these decisions are being made.”
County officials argue that the centralized funding model fails to account for regional differences and risks funneling settlement money into state bureaucracy rather than directly into affected communities.
“When the State holds all the money and all the authority, the result is delay, bureaucracy, and a one-size-fits-all approach that doesn’t work,” Arace said. “This is about accountability. Local control means local results—cleaner water, faster remediation, and stronger public health protections.”
Deputy Director of the Board of Commissioners Frank Sadeghi echoed the sentiment, stating, “This settlement money should go where the damage has been done, not disappear into layers of state administration. Each county faces unique environmental and infrastructure challenges. Local governments are on the front lines of addressing them every day.”
Officials pointed to the opioid settlement model as a precedent, where funds were distributed directly to counties and municipalities, allowing for greater transparency and community participation.
“Counties have demonstrated their ability to manage settlement funds with integrity,” said Commissioner Jennifer Bacchione. “We have the framework, the oversight, and the community partnerships in place to ensure these dollars make a real difference in protecting our water, our health, and our environment.”
Commissioner Virginia E. Haines added, “Our residents should see the benefits of this settlement in their own towns through cleaner water, safer communities, and better health protections. Local control is the only way to guarantee that happens.”
Ocean County is calling on the State to revise the framework to grant all 21 New Jersey counties direct access to funding for remediation, water treatment upgrades, and public health initiatives. Local leaders say this approach will ensure a faster, more efficient, and more accountable use of the settlement money.
“This is about public trust,” Arace said. “Our towns are already doing the work. They have the expertise, the data, and the urgency. They should also have the authority. Every dollar from this settlement should be visible, traceable, and tied to real environmental improvements right here in Ocean County.”