A major case alleging contamination by so-called forever chemicals will be postponed 21 days as the manufacturer and plaintiff close in on a deal.
Judge Richard Gergel ordered the three-week delay in the trial that was set to begin Monday between manufacturer 3M and the city of Stuart, Fla.
Both sides have reported progress in negotiations and asked for a delay.
Stuart’s claims were selected as a bellwether to test a broader legal strategy for the chemicals, with hundreds of similar lawsuits pending.
Other defendants DuPont, Chemours and Corteva announced on Friday that they reached a separate tentative settlement totaling nearly $1.2 billion with water providers.
PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) are a group of chemicals that have been linked to health issues including kidney and testicular cancer, thyroid disease and high cholesterol.