1 00:00:01,080 --> 00:00:04,760 Speaker 1: Cottage Grove, Minnesota, is a quiet community with nicely kept 2 00:00:04,800 --> 00:00:08,640 Speaker 1: streets full of large, single family homes. It's a suburb 3 00:00:08,680 --> 00:00:12,000 Speaker 1: of Minneapolis St. Paul, not far from the global headquarters 4 00:00:12,080 --> 00:00:15,319 Speaker 1: of three M, the company that makes Scotch, guard, post 5 00:00:15,360 --> 00:00:18,279 Speaker 1: It notes, and thousands of other products. It's got a 6 00:00:18,320 --> 00:00:22,160 Speaker 1: real small town atmosphere, real good feel to it. And 7 00:00:22,200 --> 00:00:25,800 Speaker 1: that's Myron Bailey, the city's mayor. He's just like Bob Newby, 8 00:00:25,960 --> 00:00:29,120 Speaker 1: the radio Shack guy on the Show's Stranger Things. He's 9 00:00:29,160 --> 00:00:31,280 Speaker 1: the guy next door who wants to help, a bit 10 00:00:31,280 --> 00:00:34,040 Speaker 1: of an unsung hero, and he actually has worked at 11 00:00:34,080 --> 00:00:38,160 Speaker 1: Radio Shack while being mayor. Cottage Grove has also experienced 12 00:00:38,159 --> 00:00:42,760 Speaker 1: some really strange events this year since three M has 13 00:00:42,760 --> 00:00:46,440 Speaker 1: had a factory here along the Mississippi River, and in May, 14 00:00:47,320 --> 00:00:53,600 Speaker 1: three MS passed caught up with Cottage Grove. At the time, 15 00:00:53,640 --> 00:00:56,360 Speaker 1: I was in Las Vegas at a convention marketing our 16 00:00:56,400 --> 00:00:59,880 Speaker 1: city when our city administrator received the call. The call 17 00:01:00,120 --> 00:01:03,520 Speaker 1: was from the Minnesota State Health Department. The agency was 18 00:01:03,560 --> 00:01:06,720 Speaker 1: about to make an announcement that would affect Cottage Grow directly. 19 00:01:07,360 --> 00:01:11,120 Speaker 1: It was rolling out new guidelines lowering the acceptable levels 20 00:01:11,160 --> 00:01:13,400 Speaker 1: of a certain type of chemical in the drinking water. 21 00:01:13,880 --> 00:01:16,520 Speaker 1: It said there was no emergency. The change was just 22 00:01:16,560 --> 00:01:20,280 Speaker 1: to protect infants and children. Myron had known for years 23 00:01:20,360 --> 00:01:23,959 Speaker 1: that certain chemicals called p fas or p f a 24 00:01:24,120 --> 00:01:26,720 Speaker 1: s were made and used at the three M factory. 25 00:01:27,480 --> 00:01:29,560 Speaker 1: He knew they were present in the city's drinking water, 26 00:01:30,040 --> 00:01:33,400 Speaker 1: but recently news stories have been reporting more information about 27 00:01:33,480 --> 00:01:37,080 Speaker 1: links to health issues like weakened immune responses, high cholesterol, 28 00:01:37,240 --> 00:01:41,520 Speaker 1: thyroid disease, and cancer. So we ended up having to 29 00:01:42,080 --> 00:01:45,760 Speaker 1: declare a state of emergency, and we did that right 30 00:01:45,800 --> 00:01:53,680 Speaker 1: after the announcement. Myron recalled how concerned some residents were 31 00:01:53,760 --> 00:01:56,840 Speaker 1: when the news broke. There were some that were, you know, 32 00:01:56,880 --> 00:01:59,960 Speaker 1: screaming that you know, Cottage Grove is any what they 33 00:02:00,080 --> 00:02:02,360 Speaker 1: used to I guess like to call a cancer cluster. 34 00:02:03,080 --> 00:02:06,560 Speaker 1: I've had moms and dad's called me crying because they 35 00:02:06,600 --> 00:02:09,320 Speaker 1: were concerned about the health of their their children or 36 00:02:09,360 --> 00:02:12,320 Speaker 1: their unborn baby. At the time, this was the beginning 37 00:02:12,320 --> 00:02:14,680 Speaker 1: of a long journey for Myron and his town, because 38 00:02:14,680 --> 00:02:17,160 Speaker 1: it turns out the chemicals aren't just in the water 39 00:02:17,280 --> 00:02:20,600 Speaker 1: in Cottage Grove. The chemicals are pretty much everywhere, and 40 00:02:20,639 --> 00:02:35,640 Speaker 1: they'll likely be around forever. Hi, I'm Kiaga Kari and 41 00:02:35,680 --> 00:02:39,680 Speaker 1: I'm Tiffany Carrey. And this week on Decrypted, we're exploring 42 00:02:39,720 --> 00:02:43,160 Speaker 1: the dire unintended consequences of a group of chemicals that 43 00:02:43,200 --> 00:02:46,840 Speaker 1: have contaminated America's drinking water. They were once seen as 44 00:02:46,919 --> 00:02:51,400 Speaker 1: dazzling innovations. Now scientific studies show that could be serious 45 00:02:51,400 --> 00:02:55,440 Speaker 1: health consequences, but people exposed to them even in minute quantities. 46 00:02:55,960 --> 00:02:58,680 Speaker 1: In February, three M reached an eight hundred and fifty 47 00:02:58,680 --> 00:03:02,760 Speaker 1: million dollars settlement with the State of Minnesota about the issue. Afterward, 48 00:03:02,919 --> 00:03:05,440 Speaker 1: the state Attorney General published some of the information she 49 00:03:05,560 --> 00:03:08,600 Speaker 1: had gathered during the case, seeing the company had known 50 00:03:08,639 --> 00:03:10,960 Speaker 1: about the risks for decades and the public had a 51 00:03:11,040 --> 00:03:14,800 Speaker 1: right to know. A spokesperson for three M says the 52 00:03:14,840 --> 00:03:17,560 Speaker 1: chemicals aren't a danger to public health and that the 53 00:03:17,600 --> 00:03:21,480 Speaker 1: company has long been committed to researching the substances. Three 54 00:03:21,680 --> 00:03:24,640 Speaker 1: M also says the internal memos are a small set 55 00:03:24,680 --> 00:03:29,160 Speaker 1: of documents that quote portray and incomplete and misleading story 56 00:03:29,440 --> 00:03:32,600 Speaker 1: and distorts the full record of three m's work. It 57 00:03:32,720 --> 00:03:36,800 Speaker 1: also distorts quote who we are as a company. But 58 00:03:36,960 --> 00:03:39,760 Speaker 1: now those documents create a bit of a roadmap for 59 00:03:39,840 --> 00:03:42,960 Speaker 1: other people who have since filed lawsuits. So even though 60 00:03:42,960 --> 00:03:45,680 Speaker 1: the States lawsuit is settled, it's not the end of 61 00:03:45,680 --> 00:03:49,480 Speaker 1: the story. Three M declined to comment on any pending litigation. 62 00:03:49,920 --> 00:03:58,080 Speaker 1: Stay with us. We're focusing today's story on Cottage Grove 63 00:03:58,160 --> 00:04:00,880 Speaker 1: because it's one of the communities that's exposed to these 64 00:04:00,920 --> 00:04:04,520 Speaker 1: chemicals the longest. But if you look at drinking water statistics, 65 00:04:04,720 --> 00:04:07,400 Speaker 1: Cottage Grove has something in common with dozens of other 66 00:04:07,440 --> 00:04:10,600 Speaker 1: towns around the country, a third of the US population. 67 00:04:10,640 --> 00:04:13,600 Speaker 1: In fact, you just heard us refer to the chemicals 68 00:04:13,600 --> 00:04:16,320 Speaker 1: as p FAST, but they've gone by lots of other 69 00:04:16,400 --> 00:04:20,680 Speaker 1: names too, p f c s or fcs or flora carbons. 70 00:04:20,720 --> 00:04:23,479 Speaker 1: They're all one group of chemicals, and it's estimated there 71 00:04:23,520 --> 00:04:26,640 Speaker 1: are three thousand to five thousand variations of them. From 72 00:04:26,640 --> 00:04:29,000 Speaker 1: here on, will refer to them as p fasts. And 73 00:04:29,040 --> 00:04:31,640 Speaker 1: the key thing about them is these chemicals are man made. 74 00:04:31,800 --> 00:04:34,960 Speaker 1: They involved carbon fluorine bonds, and they don't occur in nature. 75 00:04:36,920 --> 00:04:40,360 Speaker 1: This is technology at the molecular level. The chemicals were 76 00:04:40,400 --> 00:04:43,640 Speaker 1: developed in the nineteen forties and their ability to separate 77 00:04:43,680 --> 00:04:47,599 Speaker 1: out uranium helped create the atomic bomb. After the Second 78 00:04:47,640 --> 00:04:50,880 Speaker 1: World War, three M acquired the patent. From then it 79 00:04:51,000 --> 00:04:54,400 Speaker 1: got into three MS products and those made by other companies, 80 00:04:54,839 --> 00:04:58,599 Speaker 1: things like firefighting foams, packaging for greasy fast food, and 81 00:04:58,680 --> 00:05:02,280 Speaker 1: outdoor gear like jack It's intense. It also sold the 82 00:05:02,320 --> 00:05:05,280 Speaker 1: chemicals to other companies like DuPont, which used them in 83 00:05:05,360 --> 00:05:09,440 Speaker 1: teflon manufacturing. Some varieties were phased out by three M 84 00:05:09,520 --> 00:05:12,760 Speaker 1: by two and two, and then it started making new varieties. 85 00:05:13,240 --> 00:05:15,520 Speaker 1: Some scientists have said they don't linger as long in 86 00:05:15,560 --> 00:05:19,440 Speaker 1: the human body, but there are still concerns. Today they're 87 00:05:19,520 --> 00:05:22,720 Speaker 1: used in the tech industry, in electronics manufacturing and many 88 00:05:22,720 --> 00:05:27,119 Speaker 1: other places to make smooth surfaces. It's not entirely clear 89 00:05:27,160 --> 00:05:30,839 Speaker 1: how many things PU fast is in electronics manufacturing and 90 00:05:30,880 --> 00:05:34,080 Speaker 1: mining fluids have come up. The planting Cottage Grove makes 91 00:05:34,120 --> 00:05:37,040 Speaker 1: everything from post it notes to Scotch tape, to reflective 92 00:05:37,120 --> 00:05:40,200 Speaker 1: road signs and the smooth finish on golf clubs. Here's 93 00:05:40,279 --> 00:05:44,720 Speaker 1: Myron again. M has got a very large facility here 94 00:05:44,760 --> 00:05:48,360 Speaker 1: in Cottage Growth. UM They employ I believe now it's 95 00:05:48,400 --> 00:05:50,919 Speaker 1: over a thousand people in their facility here. They do 96 00:05:51,040 --> 00:05:54,200 Speaker 1: more than just dealing with chemicals. They do technology, They 97 00:05:54,240 --> 00:05:57,560 Speaker 1: do a variety of other things. UM so they're very 98 00:05:58,040 --> 00:06:00,880 Speaker 1: I guess you'd say very vested in the community. Myron 99 00:06:00,960 --> 00:06:03,159 Speaker 1: has lived in Cottage Grove all his life, and he's 100 00:06:03,200 --> 00:06:05,720 Speaker 1: drank the water and says he's fine. But he's told 101 00:06:05,720 --> 00:06:07,800 Speaker 1: me there's been a fear in the community, a fear 102 00:06:07,839 --> 00:06:10,599 Speaker 1: that cancer was caused by the drinking water. We knew 103 00:06:10,640 --> 00:06:12,880 Speaker 1: something was up. They knew something was up way back 104 00:06:13,000 --> 00:06:19,840 Speaker 1: when this kind of ball began. In fact, more than 105 00:06:19,880 --> 00:06:23,159 Speaker 1: a decade ago, a local lawyer named Gail Pearson was 106 00:06:23,200 --> 00:06:25,239 Speaker 1: one of the first people to look into the matter. 107 00:06:25,880 --> 00:06:28,800 Speaker 1: Gail is someone who would be considered Minnesota nice all 108 00:06:28,800 --> 00:06:31,479 Speaker 1: the way. She said that back in two thousand and three, 109 00:06:31,640 --> 00:06:34,039 Speaker 1: she had been contacted by some lawyers working on a 110 00:06:34,080 --> 00:06:36,680 Speaker 1: personal injury case in West Virginia. It was a case 111 00:06:36,680 --> 00:06:39,240 Speaker 1: about chemicals in the water near a plant that made teflon. 112 00:06:39,880 --> 00:06:42,280 Speaker 1: Back then it was a DuPont plant, but now it's 113 00:06:42,279 --> 00:06:46,000 Speaker 1: owned by their spinoff. Mrs Gail realized that one of 114 00:06:46,000 --> 00:06:48,760 Speaker 1: the chemicals was p f o A, a type of 115 00:06:48,800 --> 00:06:51,120 Speaker 1: p fasts that had been made by three m in 116 00:06:51,160 --> 00:06:56,479 Speaker 1: Cottage Grove. She started looking into it, and actually I 117 00:06:56,520 --> 00:06:58,520 Speaker 1: went online and saw a lot of information from the 118 00:06:58,640 --> 00:07:01,760 Speaker 1: environmental working group and started to learn about pi FoST 119 00:07:01,880 --> 00:07:06,640 Speaker 1: and it's contamination not only in Washington County or West Virginia, 120 00:07:06,680 --> 00:07:09,240 Speaker 1: but actually in the world. I realized this is a 121 00:07:09,320 --> 00:07:12,600 Speaker 1: really important issue and and I had to get involved. 122 00:07:13,080 --> 00:07:16,240 Speaker 1: Washington County is the larger area where Cottage Grove is located, 123 00:07:16,600 --> 00:07:19,040 Speaker 1: back when it was mostly farmland. Three m had don't 124 00:07:19,040 --> 00:07:22,360 Speaker 1: waste there and in three other towns nearby. We wanted 125 00:07:22,400 --> 00:07:27,320 Speaker 1: ourselves to to investigate what the science was saying about 126 00:07:27,960 --> 00:07:30,840 Speaker 1: the soil and the water in the area. So we 127 00:07:30,880 --> 00:07:34,640 Speaker 1: actually hired our own chemists, and we asked folks around 128 00:07:34,760 --> 00:07:37,800 Speaker 1: the dump areas if we could come on their property 129 00:07:37,800 --> 00:07:40,720 Speaker 1: and test their soil samples and test their water. Along 130 00:07:40,760 --> 00:07:43,040 Speaker 1: the way, we someone asked the question, what about what 131 00:07:43,120 --> 00:07:45,560 Speaker 1: about the people living in this area? Where would they 132 00:07:45,560 --> 00:07:48,600 Speaker 1: be contaminated? So we that led Gale to start asking 133 00:07:48,640 --> 00:07:50,800 Speaker 1: people if they would allow her to test their blood 134 00:07:51,000 --> 00:07:54,520 Speaker 1: to see if this chemical post was present. And as 135 00:07:54,720 --> 00:07:59,200 Speaker 1: the information was coming back from the laboratory, we realized 136 00:07:59,320 --> 00:08:03,679 Speaker 1: that we add a hotbed of contamination in the blood 137 00:08:03,720 --> 00:08:07,240 Speaker 1: of the community. And I don't believe that the Minnesota 138 00:08:07,240 --> 00:08:10,680 Speaker 1: Pollution Control Agency or the Department of Health was testing 139 00:08:11,440 --> 00:08:14,320 Speaker 1: human serum samples at that time. I think we were 140 00:08:14,360 --> 00:08:22,000 Speaker 1: the first group that we're doing this. Gail said she 141 00:08:22,080 --> 00:08:24,320 Speaker 1: learned a few things from those tests, but the most 142 00:08:24,400 --> 00:08:28,280 Speaker 1: striking discovery was that the concentration of the chemicals seemed 143 00:08:28,280 --> 00:08:31,760 Speaker 1: to be highest in children and the elderly. She passed 144 00:08:31,760 --> 00:08:34,880 Speaker 1: the information on to the Minnesota Department of Health and 145 00:08:35,000 --> 00:08:38,600 Speaker 1: to the state Attorney General's office. She also started building 146 00:08:38,800 --> 00:08:42,400 Speaker 1: a class action case against three M. The individuals that 147 00:08:42,480 --> 00:08:46,400 Speaker 1: we actually tested and were involved and felt very strongly 148 00:08:46,600 --> 00:08:50,120 Speaker 1: that three M had not been a good neighbor, had 149 00:08:50,400 --> 00:08:53,959 Speaker 1: really violated their person, their property, and really needed to 150 00:08:54,000 --> 00:08:57,559 Speaker 1: be held accountable. But Gail said she had trouble getting 151 00:08:57,600 --> 00:09:00,720 Speaker 1: other people in cottage grow interested beyond the small group 152 00:09:00,760 --> 00:09:02,920 Speaker 1: from whom she had taken blood samples. A lot of 153 00:09:02,920 --> 00:09:06,160 Speaker 1: people she approached had personal ties to three M. There 154 00:09:06,200 --> 00:09:10,000 Speaker 1: was more of a hesitancy for those who perhaps worked 155 00:09:10,080 --> 00:09:13,120 Speaker 1: at three M, those who were involved with family members 156 00:09:13,160 --> 00:09:16,559 Speaker 1: who worked at three M. If you were outside of 157 00:09:16,600 --> 00:09:20,600 Speaker 1: this this contamination area, I think there was a reluctance 158 00:09:20,679 --> 00:09:25,160 Speaker 1: to hold the good neighbor three M accountable. I think 159 00:09:25,200 --> 00:09:28,800 Speaker 1: there was a reluctance for the community to really accept 160 00:09:28,840 --> 00:09:31,800 Speaker 1: the fact that that something so wrong had happened so 161 00:09:31,880 --> 00:09:35,280 Speaker 1: close to them. One mother I spoke with while reporting 162 00:09:35,280 --> 00:09:38,000 Speaker 1: the story told me at the time she thought that 163 00:09:38,040 --> 00:09:40,720 Speaker 1: bringing a class action lawsuit against three M was absurd. 164 00:09:41,320 --> 00:09:43,440 Speaker 1: Now her ten year old daughter has fought a battle 165 00:09:43,440 --> 00:09:45,760 Speaker 1: with kidney cancer, and she says she wishes she had 166 00:09:45,760 --> 00:09:50,800 Speaker 1: taken action earlier. Gayle's class action lawsuit never got off 167 00:09:50,840 --> 00:09:54,120 Speaker 1: the ground. A judge dismissed the class action claims around 168 00:09:54,160 --> 00:09:58,400 Speaker 1: two thousand and seven, but the Minnesota Attorney General, Laurie 169 00:09:58,440 --> 00:10:01,200 Speaker 1: Swanson had been building a case of her own, and 170 00:10:01,240 --> 00:10:04,000 Speaker 1: in two thousand and ten she brought what's called a 171 00:10:04,160 --> 00:10:07,800 Speaker 1: natural resources lawsuit against three M on behalf of the state. 172 00:10:09,120 --> 00:10:13,000 Speaker 1: So we value our resources in Minnesota highly. We we 173 00:10:13,080 --> 00:10:15,839 Speaker 1: value our water, we value our forests, we value our 174 00:10:15,920 --> 00:10:19,520 Speaker 1: land so much that if you damage that, you're responsible 175 00:10:19,559 --> 00:10:22,400 Speaker 1: for damages to the natural resources, all right, So it's 176 00:10:22,440 --> 00:10:25,920 Speaker 1: a little different than water contamination. It's actually Gal's explaining 177 00:10:25,960 --> 00:10:29,320 Speaker 1: here is that the natural resources lawsuit alleged that damage 178 00:10:29,320 --> 00:10:31,800 Speaker 1: had been done to the environment, which is different from 179 00:10:31,800 --> 00:10:35,640 Speaker 1: accusing three M of harming people. The state's lawsuit alleged 180 00:10:35,679 --> 00:10:37,400 Speaker 1: that three M should pay to clean up the pi 181 00:10:37,520 --> 00:10:40,680 Speaker 1: fast chemicals, and that there was damage to drinking water 182 00:10:40,840 --> 00:10:43,960 Speaker 1: and local fish. Right now, we've got fish advisories in 183 00:10:43,960 --> 00:10:46,280 Speaker 1: in in some of our lakes where you can't even 184 00:10:46,360 --> 00:10:48,400 Speaker 1: eat the fish coming out of the lakes because they 185 00:10:48,400 --> 00:10:57,600 Speaker 1: are so contaminated with pi Fast. Proceedings in the Minnesota 186 00:10:57,640 --> 00:11:00,760 Speaker 1: case rumbled on for years, but the Jarney General and 187 00:11:00,760 --> 00:11:03,520 Speaker 1: other state agencies continued to look into the way the 188 00:11:03,559 --> 00:11:08,640 Speaker 1: p fast chemicals were impacting Washington County. In May, the 189 00:11:08,720 --> 00:11:12,559 Speaker 1: Minnesota Department of Health changed its guidelines on acceptable levels 190 00:11:12,600 --> 00:11:16,120 Speaker 1: of p fast in drinking water. That's when Myron Bailey, 191 00:11:16,240 --> 00:11:18,840 Speaker 1: the mayor of Cottage Grove, was told the levels of 192 00:11:18,840 --> 00:11:22,080 Speaker 1: p fast and his city's water exceeded the new guidelines, 193 00:11:22,320 --> 00:11:24,480 Speaker 1: and the city started looking for ways to bring the 194 00:11:24,559 --> 00:11:31,240 Speaker 1: levels down below the new threshold. Then, in late seven 195 00:11:31,320 --> 00:11:34,920 Speaker 1: years after the lawsuit was first filed, Laurie Swanson updated 196 00:11:34,920 --> 00:11:38,000 Speaker 1: the case. She asked for five billion dollars from three 197 00:11:38,160 --> 00:11:41,000 Speaker 1: m She alleged there was an underground plume of the 198 00:11:41,080 --> 00:11:44,800 Speaker 1: chemicals stretching for over one square miles, and she said 199 00:11:44,840 --> 00:11:47,959 Speaker 1: it was resulting in real health problems like elevated levels 200 00:11:47,960 --> 00:11:53,679 Speaker 1: of cancer, leukemia, premature births, and lower fertility. Three M 201 00:11:53,760 --> 00:11:56,240 Speaker 1: said at the time that the case lacked merit and 202 00:11:56,320 --> 00:11:58,520 Speaker 1: that it was based on a mistaken belief that the 203 00:11:58,600 --> 00:12:01,680 Speaker 1: mere presence of the chemical was a harm to human health. 204 00:12:02,720 --> 00:12:07,320 Speaker 1: A few months later, in February, literally the night before 205 00:12:07,360 --> 00:12:10,920 Speaker 1: the Minnesota trial was about to begin, three M reached 206 00:12:10,920 --> 00:12:13,760 Speaker 1: a settlement with the state. It agreed to pay eight 207 00:12:13,800 --> 00:12:18,880 Speaker 1: hundred and fifty million dollars without admitting any wrongdoing. Attorney 208 00:12:18,920 --> 00:12:22,080 Speaker 1: General Laurie Swanson held a press conference the next day. 209 00:12:22,360 --> 00:12:26,120 Speaker 1: We think that the settlement will help solve a problem 210 00:12:26,120 --> 00:12:28,720 Speaker 1: from Minnesota. It's been a problem that has been a 211 00:12:28,760 --> 00:12:31,320 Speaker 1: long time in the making. For many decades, these chemicals, 212 00:12:31,360 --> 00:12:34,040 Speaker 1: as I mentioned, were put into the ground, and uh 213 00:12:34,240 --> 00:12:37,080 Speaker 1: we are very hopeful that the settlement can help fix up. 214 00:12:37,600 --> 00:12:40,000 Speaker 1: The money in this settlement would be spent on installing 215 00:12:40,040 --> 00:12:42,080 Speaker 1: filters that would get p fast out of the drinking 216 00:12:42,080 --> 00:12:44,920 Speaker 1: water for people living in and around three MS Cottage 217 00:12:44,920 --> 00:12:47,719 Speaker 1: Grove plant. If there was any money left over, they 218 00:12:47,760 --> 00:12:50,800 Speaker 1: discussed dredging some of the Mississippi River and trying to 219 00:12:50,840 --> 00:12:53,440 Speaker 1: find a way to bring back non polluted fish for 220 00:12:53,520 --> 00:12:57,119 Speaker 1: local anglers. I think the settlement is a very important 221 00:12:57,200 --> 00:13:03,480 Speaker 1: first step to hold three M accountable for the damage 222 00:13:03,480 --> 00:13:06,920 Speaker 1: that they did, not only to this state, put this 223 00:13:07,160 --> 00:13:12,080 Speaker 1: planet because of PFA's exposure. UM. It did not address 224 00:13:12,320 --> 00:13:16,719 Speaker 1: personal injury actions for the members in the community, So 225 00:13:17,080 --> 00:13:20,120 Speaker 1: that component of what the chemical now did to the 226 00:13:20,120 --> 00:13:23,880 Speaker 1: community and the harm that it has caused has yet 227 00:13:23,920 --> 00:13:27,600 Speaker 1: to be addressed by that settlement. The Attorney general cannot 228 00:13:27,600 --> 00:13:31,240 Speaker 1: bring a personal injury like claim on behalf of the citizens, 229 00:13:31,320 --> 00:13:35,040 Speaker 1: only the individuals can. So the lawsuit had been settled, 230 00:13:35,280 --> 00:13:37,800 Speaker 1: but that wasn't the end of the issue for three M. 231 00:13:37,840 --> 00:13:42,000 Speaker 1: Attorney General laur Swanson had one more explosive move to make. 232 00:13:42,559 --> 00:13:45,240 Speaker 1: She wanted to back up her claim about a cover up. 233 00:13:52,920 --> 00:13:56,680 Speaker 1: So in February, three M and the States of Minnesota 234 00:13:56,800 --> 00:13:59,840 Speaker 1: had agreed to an eight hundred and fifty million dollar settlement, 235 00:14:00,200 --> 00:14:03,599 Speaker 1: but the Attorney General went a step further. As the 236 00:14:03,640 --> 00:14:07,280 Speaker 1: settlement was reached, Laurie Swanson posted a trove of three 237 00:14:07,480 --> 00:14:11,920 Speaker 1: m's internal emails and memos on her website. She posted 238 00:14:11,960 --> 00:14:14,760 Speaker 1: dozens of documents and I spent a long time going 239 00:14:14,800 --> 00:14:18,480 Speaker 1: through them together. They're really remarkable. As far back as 240 00:14:18,480 --> 00:14:21,320 Speaker 1: the nineteen sixties, three M was discussing how to avoid 241 00:14:21,320 --> 00:14:24,280 Speaker 1: liability from these chemicals, and that's really only the start 242 00:14:24,280 --> 00:14:28,760 Speaker 1: of it. Here's Gail again. Early on in the seventies, 243 00:14:29,360 --> 00:14:32,880 Speaker 1: three M was aware that this chemical did not degrade 244 00:14:32,880 --> 00:14:38,160 Speaker 1: in the environment and accumulated in the environment. Gail's point 245 00:14:38,200 --> 00:14:42,040 Speaker 1: that these chemicals never degrade, that's quite a problem. Scientists 246 00:14:42,040 --> 00:14:45,120 Speaker 1: have said that the chemicals could persist at a geological 247 00:14:45,200 --> 00:14:48,480 Speaker 1: time scale. It means that almost like rocks, even if 248 00:14:48,560 --> 00:14:52,440 Speaker 1: dinosaurs roamed the earth again, these man made carbon fluorine 249 00:14:52,480 --> 00:14:56,840 Speaker 1: bonds could still be floating around. The documents showed other 250 00:14:56,880 --> 00:14:59,480 Speaker 1: things too, like the fact that three M had kept 251 00:14:59,560 --> 00:15:02,880 Speaker 1: secret the locations where it was burying the chemical waste. 252 00:15:03,200 --> 00:15:06,160 Speaker 1: It had not published some studies, including one that showed 253 00:15:06,240 --> 00:15:10,160 Speaker 1: lactating goats past the chemicals on to their offspring, and 254 00:15:10,200 --> 00:15:13,120 Speaker 1: it didn't reveal that some of the company's own employees 255 00:15:13,160 --> 00:15:16,840 Speaker 1: were suffering from immune dysfunctions. According to an analysis by 256 00:15:16,880 --> 00:15:21,440 Speaker 1: a Danish scientist, Philippe Grangehn, who studies p fast and 257 00:15:21,480 --> 00:15:24,480 Speaker 1: made an expert witness report for the state. And that 258 00:15:24,640 --> 00:15:28,240 Speaker 1: is significant in the sense that there's a long pattern 259 00:15:28,760 --> 00:15:32,240 Speaker 1: that this company did research on the harm of this chemical, 260 00:15:32,800 --> 00:15:36,920 Speaker 1: kept that information from the public um and and chose 261 00:15:37,080 --> 00:15:39,680 Speaker 1: not to share with with anyone until actually one of 262 00:15:39,720 --> 00:15:44,480 Speaker 1: their scientists filed a resignation letter to three M and 263 00:15:44,520 --> 00:15:46,640 Speaker 1: then sent a copy to the e p A that 264 00:15:46,720 --> 00:15:50,000 Speaker 1: actually shared now what was going on internally with three 265 00:15:50,120 --> 00:15:53,240 Speaker 1: M and what it knew about the chemicals and what 266 00:15:53,360 --> 00:15:57,720 Speaker 1: it was hiding from authorities. Three M declined to comment 267 00:15:57,800 --> 00:16:00,720 Speaker 1: on the internal memos, except to say that Minnesota had 268 00:16:00,720 --> 00:16:04,360 Speaker 1: presented them out of context and that they quote portray 269 00:16:04,480 --> 00:16:09,680 Speaker 1: and incomplete and misleading story and distorts the full record. Previously, though, 270 00:16:10,000 --> 00:16:13,160 Speaker 1: three M has said that despite decades of medical monitoring, 271 00:16:13,400 --> 00:16:16,040 Speaker 1: there have been no negative consequences on the health of 272 00:16:16,040 --> 00:16:19,800 Speaker 1: its own employees. Gail said that the documents were enough 273 00:16:19,800 --> 00:16:22,320 Speaker 1: to show that three M has not been forthright with 274 00:16:22,360 --> 00:16:25,440 Speaker 1: the public about the information it had. It remains to 275 00:16:25,480 --> 00:16:35,400 Speaker 1: be seen how this legal ordeal will end for three M. 276 00:16:35,440 --> 00:16:38,200 Speaker 1: The mayor, Myron Bailey, said he was also confused about 277 00:16:38,200 --> 00:16:42,200 Speaker 1: the way three M kept denying its chemicals were a problem. 278 00:16:42,200 --> 00:16:44,800 Speaker 1: You know, I was very puzzled with at the beginning 279 00:16:44,840 --> 00:16:46,680 Speaker 1: of all this with three M and some of the 280 00:16:46,840 --> 00:16:51,880 Speaker 1: approaches they took. Spokespeople for three M came out and said, well, 281 00:16:51,920 --> 00:16:54,080 Speaker 1: we don't believe that the p f c s in 282 00:16:54,120 --> 00:16:57,880 Speaker 1: the water and Cottage Girl was due to three M. 283 00:16:57,880 --> 00:16:59,760 Speaker 1: That was due to a big fire that we had 284 00:16:59,760 --> 00:17:04,000 Speaker 1: at at a plastics plant many years ago. Well, when 285 00:17:04,080 --> 00:17:05,800 Speaker 1: I when I started hearing that kind of stuff, it 286 00:17:05,840 --> 00:17:09,240 Speaker 1: actually that made me angry. And so I literally did 287 00:17:09,280 --> 00:17:12,240 Speaker 1: call their government affairs person at that particular time and said, 288 00:17:13,240 --> 00:17:15,240 Speaker 1: what are you guys doing? What are you saying? You 289 00:17:15,320 --> 00:17:18,640 Speaker 1: know that that is not accurate. It doesn't make sense 290 00:17:18,680 --> 00:17:20,919 Speaker 1: to me, and it doesn't make sense to the citizens 291 00:17:20,920 --> 00:17:23,680 Speaker 1: that surround your plant and cottage growth that you would 292 00:17:23,800 --> 00:17:25,920 Speaker 1: you would say something like that because it doesn't make 293 00:17:25,960 --> 00:17:28,720 Speaker 1: you look smart. It just it makes you look like 294 00:17:28,760 --> 00:17:33,640 Speaker 1: you're desperate. After the Minnesota Department of Health released its 295 00:17:33,680 --> 00:17:36,720 Speaker 1: new peafast guidelines, Myron had to shut off two of 296 00:17:36,800 --> 00:17:39,840 Speaker 1: the thirteen wells that supplied drinking water to Cottage Grove. 297 00:17:40,840 --> 00:17:44,200 Speaker 1: That caused its own small outcry among the residents. There 298 00:17:44,240 --> 00:17:47,760 Speaker 1: was a watering ban. Since then, Myron says the city 299 00:17:47,800 --> 00:17:50,959 Speaker 1: has spent between five and six million dollars getting giant 300 00:17:51,000 --> 00:17:54,560 Speaker 1: new water filters installed. Filter is that, by the way, 301 00:17:54,640 --> 00:17:57,480 Speaker 1: he says, will only be effective for about five years. 302 00:17:58,240 --> 00:18:00,320 Speaker 1: The clock is ticking, I guess as the that's way 303 00:18:00,320 --> 00:18:02,439 Speaker 1: to put it right now, and I want to make 304 00:18:02,480 --> 00:18:05,359 Speaker 1: sure that our water is is taken care of within 305 00:18:05,400 --> 00:18:08,760 Speaker 1: this five year time frame. Myron thinks it could cost 306 00:18:08,800 --> 00:18:11,879 Speaker 1: as much as a hundred million dollars to permanently secure 307 00:18:11,960 --> 00:18:15,120 Speaker 1: safe drinking water for cottage growth. The money from three 308 00:18:15,240 --> 00:18:18,400 Speaker 1: MS eight hundred and fifty million dollars settlements should cover that, 309 00:18:18,720 --> 00:18:21,000 Speaker 1: but there are still issues like rural wells to deal 310 00:18:21,040 --> 00:18:23,919 Speaker 1: with and lots of competing demands on that pool of money. 311 00:18:34,960 --> 00:18:38,160 Speaker 1: Finding conclusive evidence of the health risks associated with these 312 00:18:38,240 --> 00:18:41,600 Speaker 1: chemicals is a monumental task. Part of this is because 313 00:18:41,640 --> 00:18:43,679 Speaker 1: it's one thing to do studies on cells in a 314 00:18:43,760 --> 00:18:46,840 Speaker 1: lab or even on animals, but it's hard to always 315 00:18:46,880 --> 00:18:50,159 Speaker 1: be exactly sure of how those findings translate to humans. 316 00:18:51,119 --> 00:18:54,680 Speaker 1: Minnesota's health department said just before the settlement between three 317 00:18:54,840 --> 00:18:57,159 Speaker 1: M and the state that it doesn't see evidence of 318 00:18:57,160 --> 00:19:00,800 Speaker 1: a health problem related to be FAST, but the underlying 319 00:19:00,880 --> 00:19:04,919 Speaker 1: data they capture does show some worrying numbers. In Washington County, 320 00:19:05,160 --> 00:19:08,880 Speaker 1: for example, or Cottage Grove is located breast cancer from 321 00:19:08,920 --> 00:19:12,080 Speaker 1: nineteen eighty eight to twenty twelve was seven percent higher, 322 00:19:12,640 --> 00:19:15,840 Speaker 1: and from nineteen ninety nine to twenty thirteen, Washington County 323 00:19:15,880 --> 00:19:19,240 Speaker 1: had twenty eight percent more cases of chronic lymphacitic leukemia 324 00:19:19,320 --> 00:19:23,399 Speaker 1: compared to the rest of Minnesota. To date, personal injury 325 00:19:23,480 --> 00:19:26,840 Speaker 1: lawsuits in three m's home state haven't had success, but 326 00:19:26,920 --> 00:19:30,880 Speaker 1: the Minnesota revelations about its internal documents and a success 327 00:19:30,880 --> 00:19:33,800 Speaker 1: in Ohio courts over one of three MS chemicals have 328 00:19:33,920 --> 00:19:37,040 Speaker 1: left a bit of a roadmap for other plaintiffs. In 329 00:19:37,080 --> 00:19:40,280 Speaker 1: the Ohio suit over a du Pont plant in Parkersburg, 330 00:19:40,480 --> 00:19:43,600 Speaker 1: West Virginia, on the Ohio border, they won a six 331 00:19:43,680 --> 00:19:47,520 Speaker 1: hundred and seventy million dollar settlement on behalf of three thousand, 332 00:19:47,560 --> 00:19:51,480 Speaker 1: five hundred plaintiffs. Since Minnesota's settlement, the state of New 333 00:19:51,520 --> 00:19:54,040 Speaker 1: York has sued three M, and so has the town 334 00:19:54,119 --> 00:19:57,800 Speaker 1: of Dayton, Ohio, and personal injury lawsuits have been filed 335 00:19:57,800 --> 00:20:01,640 Speaker 1: against it, mostly in areas around airports or military bases 336 00:20:01,800 --> 00:20:05,840 Speaker 1: that used firefighting foams with p fas. Three M has 337 00:20:05,880 --> 00:20:09,800 Speaker 1: never acknowledged doing anything wrong. It says the science is complex, 338 00:20:10,320 --> 00:20:13,840 Speaker 1: which it is. The federal agency in charge of protecting 339 00:20:13,840 --> 00:20:17,280 Speaker 1: people from hazardous substances has a draft report on the 340 00:20:17,320 --> 00:20:21,240 Speaker 1: toxicity of p FAST. It's eight and fifty two pages long. 341 00:20:21,880 --> 00:20:25,919 Speaker 1: It outlines problems like weakened immune responses and cancer. It 342 00:20:26,040 --> 00:20:30,200 Speaker 1: shows how these chemicals prevent cells from communicating with each other, 343 00:20:30,400 --> 00:20:34,320 Speaker 1: a key factor in forming an immune response. Three M 344 00:20:34,320 --> 00:20:37,880 Speaker 1: has demanded revisions, saying there aren't enough tests on humans. 345 00:20:39,560 --> 00:20:41,800 Speaker 1: This spring, the e p A said that it's taking 346 00:20:41,880 --> 00:20:45,040 Speaker 1: some steps that would help regulate p FAST and even 347 00:20:45,080 --> 00:20:49,320 Speaker 1: study toxicity of the newer chemicals. This chemical was never 348 00:20:49,359 --> 00:20:52,240 Speaker 1: regulated under the Safe Water Drinking Act, by the way, 349 00:20:52,440 --> 00:20:54,600 Speaker 1: which is why we have a situation like this one 350 00:20:54,640 --> 00:20:57,240 Speaker 1: in Minnesota where states are trying to come up with 351 00:20:57,280 --> 00:20:59,840 Speaker 1: their own level which they think is safe in drinking water. 352 00:21:00,720 --> 00:21:03,160 Speaker 1: So cities and states are left to discover on their 353 00:21:03,160 --> 00:21:06,280 Speaker 1: own whether people have been exposed to these chemicals. And 354 00:21:06,400 --> 00:21:09,600 Speaker 1: since the molecules never degrade and have been used around 355 00:21:09,600 --> 00:21:18,880 Speaker 1: the world, there are implications for people living everywhere. Back 356 00:21:18,880 --> 00:21:21,480 Speaker 1: in Cottage Grove, most people have come up with a 357 00:21:21,520 --> 00:21:24,480 Speaker 1: better safe than sorry approach. A couple of parents I 358 00:21:24,520 --> 00:21:27,360 Speaker 1: spoke with in Minnesota who had children with cancer say 359 00:21:27,359 --> 00:21:30,000 Speaker 1: they've thrown out Scotch guard or twitched to bottled water 360 00:21:30,520 --> 00:21:33,400 Speaker 1: or gotten a strong water filter for their homes. It's 361 00:21:33,440 --> 00:21:36,080 Speaker 1: the approach I keep hearing scientists say they wish u 362 00:21:36,160 --> 00:21:41,200 Speaker 1: S regulators had taken in this situation. Better safe than sorry. Meanwhile, 363 00:21:41,240 --> 00:21:44,359 Speaker 1: Myron Bailey, the mayor of Cottage Grove, hopes the worst 364 00:21:44,400 --> 00:21:47,160 Speaker 1: of the situation is behind them thanks to the settlement. 365 00:21:47,240 --> 00:21:49,960 Speaker 1: The city has funding for new water filters and the 366 00:21:50,000 --> 00:21:52,800 Speaker 1: temporary water filters are working well in the meantime with 367 00:21:52,880 --> 00:21:55,520 Speaker 1: the chemicals down to safe levels in the water. And 368 00:21:55,640 --> 00:21:58,159 Speaker 1: he said relations were better between three M and the 369 00:21:58,160 --> 00:22:01,080 Speaker 1: people in his community, but there is one thing he's 370 00:22:01,080 --> 00:22:05,120 Speaker 1: still waiting for. They have not apologized for anything, so 371 00:22:05,200 --> 00:22:09,040 Speaker 1: at this point I just kind of took it for again. Unfortunately, 372 00:22:09,080 --> 00:22:12,440 Speaker 1: in the litigation world right now, everybody you know, admitting 373 00:22:12,480 --> 00:22:14,720 Speaker 1: guilt seems to be the last thing that anybody ever 374 00:22:14,720 --> 00:22:16,479 Speaker 1: wants to do, even if it's the right thing to do. 375 00:22:17,119 --> 00:22:31,160 Speaker 1: And I've never heard them say we're sorry. And that's 376 00:22:31,200 --> 00:22:34,320 Speaker 1: it for this week's Decrypted. Thanks for listening. Do you 377 00:22:34,400 --> 00:22:37,119 Speaker 1: live near a site contaminated with pepass or do you 378 00:22:37,119 --> 00:22:39,159 Speaker 1: work at a company that's grappling with the use of 379 00:22:39,160 --> 00:22:42,000 Speaker 1: them in your supply chain? We want to hear your story. 380 00:22:42,320 --> 00:22:45,280 Speaker 1: You can email us at decrypted at bloomberg dot net 381 00:22:45,960 --> 00:22:50,480 Speaker 1: or I'm on Twitter Tifiny Kerry and I'm at pagat Cary. 382 00:22:50,800 --> 00:22:52,679 Speaker 1: If you're a fan of the show, please take a 383 00:22:52,680 --> 00:22:55,000 Speaker 1: moment to rate and review us. It really helps us 384 00:22:55,000 --> 00:22:58,240 Speaker 1: find new listeners. This episode was produced by Pea gud 385 00:22:58,280 --> 00:23:01,240 Speaker 1: Cary and Liz Smith. Our story editor was Emily Busso. 386 00:23:01,520 --> 00:23:04,800 Speaker 1: Tiffany also has a big multimedia story about this topic 387 00:23:04,880 --> 00:23:07,560 Speaker 1: up on bloomberg dot com. You can check it out 388 00:23:07,600 --> 00:23:10,560 Speaker 1: to learn more about the science and a special thanks 389 00:23:10,600 --> 00:23:14,440 Speaker 1: on that story to Flynn McRoberts, John Boskell, and Christopher Cannon. 390 00:23:15,359 --> 00:23:19,240 Speaker 1: Thanks also to brad Stone, Aki Ito and Vandermay and 391 00:23:19,320 --> 00:23:24,000 Speaker 1: Magnus Henrikson. Francesca Levie, his head of Bloomberg Podcasts. We'll 392 00:23:24,000 --> 00:23:24,800 Speaker 1: see you next week.