Minnesota sues 3M again over PFAS pollution

Talia McWright, Pioneer Press on May 24, 2026

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Minnesota is again suing 3M Co. over contamination from its products containing “forever chemicals,” this time concerning pollution at its Cottage Grove manufacturing facility.

In a lawsuit filed this month in Washington County District Court, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency said per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, known as PFAS, are harming the state’s ground and surface waters in violation of permits and state and federal laws.

The state said PFAS exposure is associated with “liver damage, altered cholesterol levels, thyroid disease, immune system impacts, decreased fertility, pregnancy-induced hypertension and reduced birth weight. … It is essential that (PFAS) releases are identified, controlled, and remediated.”

PFAS are known as forever chemicals because they do not break down naturally and accumulate in water systems, as well as “soil, wildlife and the human body,” the complaint states.

“The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency remains committed to protecting human health and the environment from pollution and holding polluters accountable,” the agency told the Pioneer Press. “We cannot comment further on pending litigation.”

Enforcement, legal history

3M began manufacturing products containing PFAS in the 1980s. The state took an interest in the mid-2000s, and in 2007, the pollution control agency and 3M reached an agreement to address PFAS contamination at four disposal areas.

Minnesota sued 3M in 2010 for natural resource damages and reached an $850 million settlement in 2018 that sought to provide clean drinking water in east metro areas affected by 3M’s PFAS pollution.

But in 2020, according to the new lawsuit, “3M told MPCA that it was aware of a previously undisclosed discharge of chemical constituents from the (Cottage Grove) facility,” which “relate to discharges that continue to this day.”

The state wants “up to $30,000 per violation per day,” and an order that 3M must “protect Minnesota waters and other natural resources from further harm,” according to the lawsuit.

The pollution control agency also wants 3M to expand and improve the existing groundwater extraction system and to treat contaminated groundwater in the Cottage Grove facility’s existing wastewater treatment plant before discharge.

3M: Military foam to blame

The latest lawsuit became public this month when 3M asked a judge to move it to federal court. Because one of the polluting products made at the Cottage Grove facility was a firefighting foam sought by the U.S. military, 3M said it is “not subject to liability related to (the foam’s) manufacture and testing.”

3M also told the court it no longer uses PFAS in its manufacturing.

“3M has taken numerous steps over many years to address PFAS at our Cottage Grove facility,” the company said in a statement. “This includes the construction and start of operations of an approximately $300 million state of the science advanced wastewater treatment system.”

” … We reiterate once again our commitment to continuing remediation and water treatment investments in Cottage Grove now and into the future,” the statement continued. “3M announced in 2022 that it would discontinue the manufacture of all PFAS globally by the end of 2025 and successfully met that goal.”

According to the state, however, 3M’s operations continue to violate numerous environmental standards and laws through PFAS contamination.

The lawsuit claims 3M has “47 separate industrial and stormwater outfalls that discharge” into the Mississippi River. The river is on Minnesota’s impaired water lists and contains certain fish that can be harmful to consume in part due to PFAS contamination, according to the lawsuit.

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