THE HAGUE (Reuters) – The Dutch government said on Tuesday it would hold U.S. diversified manufacturer 3M Co liable for polluting the Western Scheldt river with potentially harmful substances known as PFAS or “forever chemicals”.
The Netherlands said it would hold the company responsible for the pollution in the Dutch part of the river allegedly caused by the company’s nearby Belgian plant.
Representatives of the company in the United States and Belgium did not immediately respond to telephone and emailed requests for comment.
Higher than acceptable pollutant levels have resulted in financial damages for the fishing fleet and the government, the Netherlands said.
“I think polluters should pay (…). Holding 3M liable is in line with that basic position,” Dutch Infrastructure and Water Management Minister Mark Harbers said in a statement.
The government said it had sent an official letter to 3M to notify the company.
3M’s website shows it has a plant which makes products that contain PFAS on the Belgian side of the Scheldt river which originates in France.
Last December 3M set itself a 2025 deadline to stop producing PFAS. The European Union is considering a ban on the “forever chemicals”.
Perfluoralkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) do not break down quickly and have in recent years been found in dangerous concentrations in drinking water, soils and foods.
The chemicals have been used in everything from cars to medical gear and non-stick pans due to their long-term resistance to extreme temperature and corrosion.
But PFAS have also been linked to health risks like cancer, hormonal dysfunction and a weakened immune system as well as environmental damage.
According to the Dutch government, the next step is to assess how much of the alleged PFAS damages 3M could be held liable for.
A meetings between the Dutch government and the company has already been planned, the government statement said.
(Reporting by Stephanie van den Berg; Editing by Emelia Sithole-Matarise)
