3M Announces Plan to End its Manufacturing and Use of PFAS by 2025

In a December 20 press release, 3M announced that the company would end its manufacturing of PFAS, as well as its use of the substances within its products, by 2025. The Minnesota-based company’s press release states that the decision came after “careful consideration and a thorough evaluation of the evolving external landscape, including multiple factors such as accelerating regulatory trends focused on reducing or eliminating the presence of PFAS in the environment and changing stakeholder expectations.” 3M’s chairman and CEO noted that “[w]hile PFAS can be safely made and used, we also see an opportunity to lead in a rapidly evolving external regulatory and business landscape to make the greatest impact for those we serve.” This decision is expected to cost the company $1.3-2.3 billion.

3M has been producing PFAS for decades and was a participant in EPA’s 2010/2015 PFOA stewardship program, where eight leading PFAS manufacturers agreed to commit to achieving a 95 percent reduction in both facility emissions to all media of PFOA and precursor chemicals by 2010, as well as committing to working towards the elimination of PFOA emissions and products by 2015. The company was sued by the state of Minnesota in 2010 when the state’s Attorney General alleged that the company’s production of PFAS had “damaged drinking water and natural resources in the Twin Cities Metropolitan Area.” The state settled the lawsuit against 3M in 2018 for a settlement of $850 million.