More than 35,000 individuals are calling on the Minnesota Public Control Agency (MPCA) to prohibit 3M from discharging PFAS chemicals into the Mississippi River.
Although 3M has pledged to get out of the PFAS business, according to an Environment America press release, a draft state permit would allow the manufacturing company to continue releasing some PFAS chemicals from its facility in Cottage Grove, Minnesota.
“The mighty Mississippi is no place for PFAS,” said Clean Water Director for Environment America John Rumpler, in a press release. “We urge Minnesota officials to protect the millions of Americans downstream who depend on this river from toxic forever chemicals.”
Even at low levels PFAS are linked to a range of health problems, including kidney cancer, reproductive risks, reduced vaccine response and more.
While the state draft permit does limit discharges of three common PFAS to near non-detectable levels, it would allow 3M to release large volumes of three other PFAS chemicals–PFBA, PFBS and PFHxA, which includes HFPO-DA and PFNA–which have been detected in 3M’s facility wastewater.
Since 1947, 3M has operated its facility in Cottage Grove, where the groundwater has been contaminated with PFAS. The 3M facility releases up to 6 million gallons of wastewater and stormwater per day, and a recent investigation found 36 toxic substances in fish from the Mississippi Rier downstream of the 3M facility.
In December 2022, 3M announced that it would end the manufacture of all PFAS. In 2023, the company entered a $10 billion settlement to resolve claims of PFAS contaminating drinking water.
The comments submitted by Environment America Research and Policy Center came from activists in Minnesota and across the country at Environment America, Public Interest Research Groups (PIRG) and Environmental Action.
The 3M permit marks the first time that Minnesota officials will set numeric limits for PFAS releases into waterways, setting a potential precedent for other permits.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has yet to set national pollution control standards for all PFAS, as urged by Environment America Research and Policy Center, PIRG and other groups.
