3M, from the house of Scotch and Post-it up to 12.5 billion dollars in compensation for water pollution – Corriere.it
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US giant of 3M chemicals, known for its Scotch and Post-it brands used all over the world, ready to pay up to 12.5 billion dollars to resolve hundreds of lawsuits related to chemical (particularly PFOA) contamination of many public drinking water systems across the United States. Chemical company president Mike Roman said the deal was a major step forward in the company’s decision it made in 2020 to phase out Pfoa, Pfas and its derivatives (perfluorooctanoic acid and perfluorooctane sulfonic acid) and to invest on water filtration technology in our manufacturing chemical operations. The Wall Street Journal reports that the agreement, still provisional, would file several class action brought against the company concerning in particular the polyfluoroalkyl substances (Pfas) contained in the fire-retardant foams of the fire extinguishers marketed by the company. According to legal representatives of the plaintiffs, the settlement would cover polluted public water systems throughout the United States.
What are Pfas
Pfas (acronym for PerFluorinated Alkylated Substances) were born in the 1940s as so-called “synthetic” chemical compounds. They are perfluorinated and polyfluorinated alkyd substances, i.e. artificial chemical substances widely used in industry to make fabrics, paper, coatings for food containers resistant to fats and water, but they are also used for the production of photographic films, fire-fighting foams, detergents for the House. In short, we find them in many products of our daily life, even in non-stick pans, waterproof clothing and shoes and pesticides. Pfas pose a risk to humans and the environment. They are absorbed into the blood and build up over time leading to possible adverse health effects such as liver damage, thyroid disease, obesity, fertility problems and cancer.
The agreement
According to the agreement, the sum will be paid over 13 years to all cities, counties and villages that have filed lawsuits to test the aqueducts and clean up harmful substances that have infiltrated public water supplies.
Responsibilities
For more than a century, 3M has introduced thousands of products ranging from waterproof sandpaper to adhesive tape. Today, the company’s business also includes potential environmental liability costs. In fact, around 4,000 lawsuits have been filed by states and local authorities. However, the multinational said that PFAS are made and used safely in many modern products. The money that 3M will pay will go towards remediation to water suppliers who have detected the substances in question at any level or who may do so in the future.
In Europe
Even in Europe, the multinational has been the subject of lawsuits for the groundwater contamination in Belgium, after the results of a study on the exposure of the residents of Zwijndrecht, a town of about 18,000 inhabitants in Flanders, to the polluting emissions of the chemical plant. According to Forever Pollution Project which maps contaminated sites in Europe and for which 17 media have collaborated, including Le Monde and Guardian, Belgium hosts the highest levels of Pfas pollution. Those living within 15km of 3M’s Pfas manufacturing site were told not to eat eggs laid in their gardens and to avoid home-grown vegetables. The multinational has settled with the Flemish region for 571 million euros to reclaim the site while also announcing the intention to abandon the production of Pfas and its use in products by the end of 2025.
The Pfas in Veneto
In our country, a large area of the Veneto has been affected by Pfas pollution for decades, as found by Greenpeace Italy. In 2021, Stefano Polesello, researcher of‘Water Research Institute of the Cnr, had been heard during the trial against 15 managers of Mitsubishi Corporation, Icig and Miteni of Trissino, for the poisoning of the waters of Vicentino, Padovano and Veronese. The environmental and health risk assessment due to perfluoroalkyl substances had been defined as the largest pfas pollution in Europe in terms of importance and unexpected extension of fifty kilometres. Probably the largest even in the world if we exclude China.
To date, companies in various sectors are looking for alternatives to the so-called eternal chemicals that we risk poisoning the groundwater.
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