Chemical manufacturer 3M will pay up to $7.35 billion to settle lawsuits by people who say they were sickened by groundwater contamination from compounds used in firefighting foam and other consumer products. The St. Paul, Minnesota-based company announced the settlement Tuesday. It will pay the money over nine years…

The company that pioneered the development of toxic “forever chemicals” in the 1940s is proposing to pay $7.35 billion to settle thousands of personal-injury lawsuits assigned to a Charleston judge.