3M has filed a lawsuit in the state Court of Claims on April 21 against the state of Michigan, claiming that the state’s imposed drinking water limits for the toxic PFAS chemicals are flawed. 3M claims that the limits and groundwater cleanup criteria were created through a rushed and invalid regulatory process, and seek to invalidate those limits made by the state last summer.
PFAS chemicals, which are made and sold by 3M, are considered harmful to the human body. Some PFAS compounds are known to increase the risk of testicular and kidney cancer, cause pregnancy complications and suppress the immune system.
The state of Michigan is already involved in court with 3M. Michigan has sued 3M and other PFAS manufacturers, claiming that the companies hid the potential dangers of products that were made with PFAS. The state seeks costs and damages from PFAS contamination, which has been located in over 160 locations across the state.
A May 7 statement from Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel on 3M’s lawsuit against the state said:
“3M profited for years from its sale of PFAS products and concealed its evidence of adverse health impacts from state and federal regulators.” She goes on to say, “It is no coincidence that this out-of-state company is resorting to attempts to rewrite our state’s standards put in place to protect Michiganders from PFAS in their drinking water.”
3M spent around $214 million on PFAS litigation during Q4 of 2019 alone.
The Minnesota chemical giant has pursued similar legal action against New Jersey and New Hampshire.
