The city of Columbus, Ohio, recently received a $4 million initial settlement from the 3M Company — a small part of the broader ongoing case against the rampant corporate use of PFAS.
What’s happening?
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, also known as PFAS or “forever chemicals,” are toxic and long-lasting chemicals found in many of our household items, including nonstick cookware and toiletries. While most regions have regulations in place to prevent the unsafe and excessive production and release of PFAS-based goods, the pervasiveness of PFAS in our everyday supplies has so far made cutting them out altogether rather difficult for manufacturing companies like 3M.
According to the Columbus Dispatch, manufacturing conglomerate 3M — known for common staples like command hooks and Post-It notes — isn’t the only one targeted by the latest Ohio lawsuits. Chemicals company DuPont is one of several other defendants, and 3M’s $4 million in initial settlement payments is only the beginning.
While the PFAS levels in Columbus’ drinking water are currently stable, the lawsuit has been issued on the grounds that the products manufactured by the affected companies have a high potential to contaminate the city’s groundwater and eventually infiltrate the civilians’ food and water supply.
Why is PFA exposure concerning?
In recent years, studies on the subject have linked PFAS exposure to a range of cancers, reproductive issues, immune deficiencies, birth and developmental defects, higher cholesterol levels, and more, as reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Since PFAS can take hundreds to thousands of years to degrade naturally in our environment, their toxins linger in various organic resources — most notably, the water and crops we ingest.
Meanwhile, corporations that take the dangers of exposure lightly and continue to produce PFAS in their manufactured goods inadvertently enable and even encourage more of the same behavior. It’s this kind of oversight that allows PFAS and other toxins to build up in our environment as a collective, irresponsible outcome.
“Corporations like 3M knew the dangers of producing forever chemicals, did nothing to protect consumers or the environment, and now are being held accountable for their negligence,” city attorney Zach Klein told CW Columbus. “This settlement ensures that these companies — not ratepayers — are on the hook for cleaning up the mess they made.”
What’s being done about PFAS?
For its part, the 3M Company has set a target to “exit all of PFAS manufacturing” before the end of 2025, per the Dispatch. You can even take your own steps to avoid PFAS exposure by swapping out your nonstick cookware and searching for PFAS-free brands when you shop for household supplies.
At a broader scale, regulations like those in place at the federal and state levels can go quite far in ensuring our waterways remain relatively PFAS-free, especially when these rules are properly enforced. For instance, regarding contaminants in drinking water, the Environmental Protection Agency is aiming to implement a legal maximum of 4 parts per trillion, aiming to fully apply the limit by the year 2031, according to Earth.com.
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