The Belgian chemical company Solvay has agreed to pay nearly $400 million to settle claims linked to drinking water contamination near its factory in southern New Jersey. The funds will be used to clean up pollution caused by PFAS — a class of toxic substances commonly called “forever chemicals” that don’t break down in the environment or in the human body. PFAS have been linked to cancer, liver and thyroid disease, maternal mortality, birth defects and other health problems. Wednesday’s settlement comes a week after 3M agreed to pay more than $10 billion to settle lawsuits claiming it knowingly used “forever chemicals” in its products despite risks to human health. This comes as Republican congressmembers are promoting legislation that would weaken attempts to regulate PFAS while insulating many polluters from liability under the federal Superfund law.