State officials have unveiled a $700 million proposal to clean up drinking water by upgrading city and private water systems in the east metro.
The proposal would remove chemicals made by the 3M Corp. from drinking water of Washington County, using money from a 2018 legal settlement.
The plan was jointly announced Thursday by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and the state Department of Natural Resources, after two years of study by two advisory groups.
The agencies identified other ways to clean up water, including piping St. Paul water to Lake Elmo and Oakdale. But officials said the best approach is to upgrade and maintain public and private water systems over a span of at least 40 years.
The plan was hailed by Myron Bailey, mayor of Cottage Grove, which has been dealing with the pollution for 16 years. “Today is a day for the city to celebrate,” said Bailey Thursday.
The money comes from the settlement of a 2018 lawsuit brought by the state attorney general against 3M, one of several manufacturers of the chemicals.
The state did not charge 3M with harming public health, but with damaging the environment. The chemicals have been found in rivers, lakes and groundwater in the metro area — and around the world.
3M settled that suit for $850 million. After legal fees, $700 million remains. According to the terms of the settlement, the money must be spent on ensuring supplies of clean drinking water and enhancing natural resources.
Since then, proposals to spend the money have been evaluated by two groups set up by the state — the Government and 3M Working Group and the Citizen-Business Advisory Group.
Officials said Thursday that the area’s water has largely been cleaned up according to present federal standards — by 3M.
A $40 million fund set up in 2007 paid for municipal water filters in four cities, filters in hundreds of private wells, and hook-ups to municipal water supplies for rural homes.
But those are considered short-term solutions, said DNR Assistant Commissioner Jess Richards. “We already have short-terms solutions in place, while we develop long-term solutions,” he said.
The long-term solutions weighed by the agencies will guarantee safe drinking supplies into the future, he said.
The perfluorochemicals were manufactured by 3M, starting in the 1940s, for use in non-stick cookware, fire extinguishers and stain repellent. They were dumped — legally — in Woodbury, Oakdale, Cottage Grove and Lake Elmo.
They slowly leaked into groundwater, and in 2004, traces of the chemicals were found in the drinking water of an area of about 150 square miles.
Richards said the agencies’ preferred approach ensures flexibility for cities to respond to new circumstances.
For example, it’s possible that new research could result in new warnings — and mandates to lower the levels even further. And the underground plumes of pollution can shift, suddenly bringing more pollution to certain cities.
“The beauty of this proposal is that it’s adaptable over time,” said Richards.
The preferred option would initially invest $303 million, mostly in city water systems and filters for private homes with wells. The remainder would be spent on maintenance, and unidentified projects in the future.
The proposal would cover costs in municipal water systems for 40 years, and 100 years for private systems.
The agencies listed two other possibilities:
- Spending $319 million initially, and making the water slightly cleaner.
- Or, building pipes connecting St. Paul water to Lake Elmo and Oakdale. St. Paul water comes from the Mississippi River, and is free of the polluting chemicals.“