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US-based
international conglomerate 3M Company, accused of polluting water and soil in
Minnesota, will pay the Midwestern US state a settlement of US$850 million
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AFP report continues:
The
company, based in the state capital St Paul for more than 115 years, said it
reached an agreement with local authorities to end a lawsuit over "certain
PFCs (perfluorinated chemicals) present in the environment."
According
to the attorney general's office, 3M deposited PFC-related waste in the soil
and water of the Twin Cities East Metro region — which encompasses Minneapolis and St Paul — between the 1950s and early
2000s.
These
chemical compounds were used, among other things, for the production of a
carpet cleaner — and
were sold to DuPont USA for the manufacture of products containing Teflon.
The
money paid by 3M will go toward a fund that finances water sustainability
projects in the area.
"While
we do not believe there is a PFC-related public health issue, 3M will work with
the state on these important projects," said 3M chief technology officer
John Banovetz, who also serves as senior vice president of research and
development.
Minnesota
Governor Mark Dayton called the settlement an "enormously important
advance to protect the health of over 67,000 Minnesotans in our East Metro
area, who deserve clean and safe drinking water."
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