3M Held Liable for PFAS Pollution in Western Scheldt by Dutch Cabinet

The American chemical group 3M must compensate the damage caused by pfas in the Western Scheldt in Zeeland. That is what the cabinet thinks. Minister Mark Harbers of Infrastructure and Water Management has held the company liable, the state attorney has informed 3M in a letter.

3M in Zwijndrecht, Belgium, near Antwerp, has been discharging pfas into the Scheldt for years. The river flows to the Western Scheldt in Zeeland. Last year, the RIVM stated that various types of fish, crustaceans and shellfish from the Western Scheldt contain such high concentrations of pfas that it was advisable to eat them as little as possible.

Poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAs) are harmful to health and the environment. They are used in, for example, fire-fighting foam and water-repellent clothing. The substances can accumulate in the body and reduce the functioning of the immune system.

Harbers points out that pfas leads to concerns among local residents and financial damage to fishermen and Rijkswaterstaat, for example. “I think the polluters should pay, not the users and operators. Holding 3M accountable fits that premise.”

The minister announced last year that Rijkswaterstaat will make an inventory of the damage. This concerns, for example, costs for monitoring and costs for the removal of contaminated sludge. The province of Zeeland has been calling on companies, organizations and residents for some time to report if they have suffered damage from pfas.

Last year, an investigative committee of the Flemish Parliament ruled that 3M is responsible for the soil pollution with pfas in Zwijndrecht. The committee wants the group to pay all costs caused by the pollution.

The NOS has asked 3M for a response to Minister Harbers’ announcement, but the company has not yet responded.