Mealey's ( April 3, 2026, 10:56 AM EDT) -- CHARLESTON, S.C. — Following the U.S. Supreme Court’s denial of a petition for a writ of certiorari and lifting of a stay, a federal judge in South Carolina denied the state’s motion to remand to state court its case against 3M Co. related to alleged contamination from per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in the firefighting agent aqueous film forming foam (AFFF). Applying instructions in a March 2025 Fourth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals ruling, the judge said 3M has plausibly alleged a colorable federal defense and acted under a federal officer based on its production of a specific kind of AFFF for the U.S. government....