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What is 3M Doing?

What 3M is doing

Even though the company has phased out of the production of PFOA, PFOS and PFOS-related products, 3M remains committed to furthering scientific research, to sharing that research and to continuing to offer the company’s expertise to government agencies around the world. 

We are continuing to monitor employees' health

Although 3M has completed the voluntary phaseout announced in May of 2000, the company continues to monitor the health of its production employees. These studies continue to confirm that no adverse human health effects have resulted from exposure to PFOS or PFOA.

Reference: 3M Employee Medical Studies (PDF, 26 KB)

Ongoing research

In addition, 3M continues to conduct its own research and to fund university studies around the world to advance the understanding of these materials in the environment and human health. Some of this research is through unrestricted grants by 3M.

Reference: 3M Research Grants (PDF, 15 KB)

Sharing our research with others

3M has been sharing its research and data with the scientific community in peer-reviewed scientific journals and with environmental and health officials around the world. Government policy makers, scientists and regulators have found the company’s extensive knowledge and expertise about the chemistry helpful. 3M’s work with the U.S. EPA is well documented and is available through the following sources:

Reference: www.epa.gov/opptintr/pfoa/index.htm

For PFOS, PFOS-related substances and PFOA:
Reference: EPA Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxic Substances AR-226 docket. Docket is not available online but content CD's are available by calling (202) 566-0180 or email: oppt.ncic@epa.gov

Working with all units of government

In addition to the U.S. EPA, 3M has also been working with Health Canada and Environment Canada; health and environmental agencies in Australia, Sweden and Germany; the Department of Environmental, Food and Rural Affairs (U.K.); and several committees of the European Commission.

In the United States, 3M continues to work with state and local units of government, such as the Minnesota Department of Health, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, the Alabama Department of Environmental Management, and the communities and cities of Decatur, Alabama, Oakdale, Minnesota, Lake Elmo, Minnesota, and Cottage Grove, Minnesota.

Activities in Minnesota

In late 2004, the MPCA and Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) began sampling private and municipal wells near former waste disposal sites used decades ago by 3M. These former disposal areas are located in Oakdale, Lake Elmo, Woodbury and at 3M Cottage Grove. The State’s well investigation program was to determine if PFCs disposed at each of these locations had migrated offsite. Additional information about the State’s investigation and 3M’s actions:

Report on Drinking Water Near 3M plants

St. Paul East Metro Environment

The company has also voluntarily funded a water treatment system in Oakdale, and the extension of the Lake Elmo municipal water supply to the Tablyn Park and Lake Elmo Heights neighborhoods. This is to ensure the water will be consistently and reliably within government standards for PFOS and PFOA.

3M also signed an enforceable consent agreement with the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) to submit and implement work plans to address potential sources of perfluorochemicals near former waste disposal sites in the East Metro area (Oakdale, Woodbury and Cottage Grove). As of May 2008, the remedial alternatives were submitted for each site to the MPCA. 3M and/or the MPCA have also held informational meetings in Oakdale, Woodbury and Cottage Grove to update residents on the environmental data collected by 3M and to solicit input regarding the cleanup alternatives being proposed. The next steps: final selection by the MPCA of the cleanup remedy for each site and drafting the detailed plans outlining how the work will be completed.

In addition to the work to be performed by 3M, under the consent agreement, the company will provide the State of Minnesota up to $8 million for the State’s work at a former municipal landfill in Washington County and $5 million to assist the State with its own environmental research of this chemistry. 3M is also paying the State's "oversite costs" for supervising the work at these sites.

Reference: Settlement Agreement and Consent Order (PDF, 15.6 MB)

3M’s Phase out and New Technologies

The Phase Out

In May 2000, 3M decided to phase out its production of PFOA, PFOS and PFOS-related products. 3M made the decision after research indicated that PFOS was found widely dispersed in wildlife around the world and it also had been detected at low levels in people. Based on this information, 3M wanted to develop alternative chemistries that did not accumulate in people or wildlife. This is consistent with the company’s long-standing history of innovation and its commitment to sustainability and environmental responsibility.

Even though extensive research showed there were no adverse health effects at the levels found, 3M did not want to add to the presence of this persistent compound in the environment or in people.

3M completed its phaseout of PFOS production in 2002. Regarding PFOA, 3M had manufactured the compound primarily for commercial sale to other companies. As a result of its phaseout decision, 3M no longer manufactures or sells PFOA. However, a 3M subsidiary in Europe continues to use PFOA as a necessary manufacturing aid in the production of fluoropolymers. In this process, most of the PFOA is recovered and recycled, using a patented technology developed by 3M. This subsidiary, Dyneon, has announced it has found a replacement for PFOA and plans to discontinue the use of PFOA by the end of 2008.

EPA PFOA 2010/2015 Stewardship Program

In 2006, the U.S. EPA invited eight companies to participate in a voluntary program to reduce global emissions and the use of PFOA by 2010/2015. In many respects, this program extends the environmental, health and safety (EHS) measures that 3M and its subsidiary, Dyneon, have implemented for a number of years. 3M and Dyneon communicated to the EPA the company's commitment to participate in the EPA program on March 1, 2006. Due to the company success in inventing a replacement for PFOA, 3M and its subsidiary Dyneon, will be able to accelerate its commitment under the EPA PFOA Stewardship Program. The company plans to stop using PFOA by the end of 2008.

New Technologies

3M has developed new technologies that enable the company to reformulate many of the products affected by the phase out.

These new products have excellent performance and favorable environmental, health and safety characteristics.  Products from these new technologies have received extensive environmental, health and safety testing indicating they are stable polymers with minimal to no environmental impact. They are manufactured and sold under consent orders with the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

One byproduct of this technology is perfluorobutane sulfonate (PFBS). Although PFBS can persist in the environment, it has minimal toxicity even when given in large doses in laboratory animal tests. Further, PFBS is cleared from the body within several days in animals and within several weeks in humans.

The government of Australia, published an assessment of PFBS in November of 2005 and concluded that PFBS “will not be toxic to birds, algae, aquatic vertebrates, fish or sewage microorganisms.  PFBS is not bioaccumulative or toxic to aquatic organisms…”

The full Australia NICNAS report can be found at:  http://www.nicnas.gov.au/publications/CAR/other.asp

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