3M is spending $165 million on water quality improvements at its Cottage Grove plant, a site that previously contaminated area ground water, the company announced Monday.
3M plans $165M in water upgrades at Cottage Grove plant
The chemical manufacturing campus had been the source of PFAS contamination in east metro groundwater that led to a settlement with the state of Minnesota.
February 14, 2022 at 8:22PM
The upgrades will reduce water use and better ensure clean water is released back into the environment, 3M said.
The chemical manufacturing campus has been the source of PFAS contamination in east metro groundwater that prompted an $850 million settlement with the state of Minnesota. The man-made "forever chemicals" don't break down in the environment and are linked to a number of health problems.
"It will impact our emissions, our discharge from the factory to the water," said John Banovetz, senior vice president for innovation and stewardship and chief technology officer. "We're committed to our environmental stewardship and sustainability efforts, and this is a great example of how we're doing that."
Last year, 3M chief executive Mike Roman said water quality investments would be "broader than PFAS, but it will help with that, too."
The investment is part of the 3M's commitment announced last year to spend $1 billion on environmental initiatives over two decades. Water quality investments are focused on the Maplewood-based company's large chemical manufacturing plants in Cottage Grove, Illinois, Alabama, Belgium and Germany.
3M is also aiming to reduce its global water use 25% by 2030.
"This is really the fruition of that announcement and how it gets translated into something actionable," Banovetz said.
Work in Cottage Grove is ongoing and should wrap up by 2024. The company has also stopped using an incinerator to burn waste at the sprawling chemical plant. Clean Harbors, which 3M called an "experienced third party," now handles waste management at the site.
The move is expected to reduce on-site energy use by 25%.
Last year the state handed 3M an $80,000 fine over waste issues at the plant, which generates more than 2 million pounds of hazardous waste annually.
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