Michigan Governor Rick Snyder has asked the state attorney general to sue chemical giant 3M, suggesting that the company must pay for making toxic chemicals that wound up in the drinking water. Towns across America are coming to grips with an alarming new source of water contamination: a common class of chemicals, called PFAS, implicated in long-term health effects.
In Michigan, where the Flint lead crisis is still making headlines, more than 30 sites have detectable levels of PFAS in the water and soil. Two chemicals in this family, PFOA and PFOS, are linked to heart disease, thyroid disease, and cancer, and are thought to make vaccines less effective in kids. PFAS chemicals are used in coatings that make products water-resistant — like on Teflon cookware, Gore-Tex fabric, and 3M’s Scotchgard — and 3M is among the companies whose technology made the toxic compounds so common. The Minnesota-based company also makes firefighting foams that are used at military sites and airports, and leach PFAS compounds into the environment.
In pushing to sue 3M, Gov. Snyder appears to be trying to get in front of another potential health crisis with Michigan in the spotlight. “It is generally understood 3M was […]
Full article: Michigan Is Facing Another Toxic Water Crisis. Now Its Governor Wants A Chemical Company To Pay.
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