Class Action Status Denied in Suit against 3M Co.
By Jennifer Griffith
Published on June 20, 2007
Washington County District Judge Mary Hannon denied the Washington County residents certified class status, giving 3M Co. an advantage in its defense in one of the largest environmental lawsuits in history.
Judge Hannon's ruling means that anyone intending to sue 3M Co. for similar damages will have to file a separate suit.
3M Co. makes the products Teflon and Scotchgard stain repellant which contain PFCs or perfluorochemicals, a chemical substance found to cause cancer in rats.
In 2004, trace amounts of PFCs were found in drinking water in Oakdale and Lake Elmo after the company had legally disposed of them in Washington County landfills.
In January, similar contamination was discovered in Woodbury and Cottage Grove.
State officials claim that PFCs in trace amounts cause no short-term health risks to humans. Long-term health risks are still being studied.
In a similar suit ending in 2005, DuPont Company agreed to a $300 million settlement, remove chemicals from drinking water, and monitor the health of water drinkers involved in the case.
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