Chemical makers Chemours, DuPont, and Corteva agreed to settle just days before the start of a trial in South Carolina over PFAS contamination|Asheville|CC BY-SA 4.0

Three companies manufacturing chemicals, Chemours, DuPont and Corteva, said Friday they would pay nearly $1.2 billion to settle claims that they caused contamination of US public water systems with “toxic” forever chemicals.

The settlement comes just days before the start of a trial in South Carolina over PFAS contamination.

Chemical companies have been facing thousands of litigations over their use of PFAS—that have been used for decades in manufacturing nonstick coatings such as Teflon.

A trial against 3M is due to start Monday, but the company was reportedly also considering a $10 billion settlement before the case begins.