PFA Facts | History of PFAS at 3M | Affected Communities and Our Future | 3M's response to contamination | Law Suits |
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What is Polyfluoralkyl Substances?
PFAS stands for this substance (Minnesota Department of Health)
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What is Scotchgard?
This 3M product made with PFA was created by accident in 1953 and is the source of the majority of the PFA pollution (Kary)
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What is the Mississippi River?
Oakdale, Lake Elmo, and Woodbury were all Minnesotan cities that had 3M PFA dumping sites. This river also received much of the PFA water waste (Kary)
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Who is Denise Rutherford?
This 3M VP said that PFA was not dangerous for human health despite the fact that 3M moved female employees away from PFA related jobs to protect from potential pregnancy abnormalities (Holden)
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Who is Lori Swanson?
This Minnesota Attorney is responsible for the 3M settlement in 2018. While testifying during the lawsuit she said, "In many ways Minnesota, my state, is ground zero for for the PFAS contamination that confronts the country" (Schneider).
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What is firefighting foam?
PFA is found in greaseproof pans and outdoor equipment. This product also contains PFA and is responsible for 192 water pollution sites (126 military bases and many others were fire departments) across 39 states? (Kary, Schlanger).
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What is 4?
This is the number of underlying drinking aquifers that were contained by PFAS in Minnesota (Kary)
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What is 70,000?
This is the number of Minnesotan residents that have contaminated water (Clean Water Action)
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What is denial?
This is the word that could be used to describe 3M's actions during this entire lawsuit even after the settlement (Hint: the answer starts with D)
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What is $850 million?
This much money was awarded to the state by 3M (Hint: it is one of the largest environmental settlements in the history of the US! YAY!) (Schneider)
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What is The Forever Chemicals?
PFAS are cannot be broken down in your body or the environment, deeming PFAS this nickname (Holden)
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What is 100?
This is the number of square miles the PFAS underground plume is estimated to be (Kary)
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What is 26?
This is the minimum number of drinking water advisories issued to Cottage Grove Well Owners for unsafe PFA levels (Minnesota Department of Health)
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What is drinking water sources
3M decided to excavate and move contaminated soil away from this thing to prevent further PFA contamination (Minnesota Department of Health)
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What is New Hampshire, New Jersey, and New York?
These 3 states, each starting with New, have ongoing lawsuits against 3M (Hint: put the states in alphabetical order based on the second word of the state separated by commas with an and); Random Fun Fact: North Carolina won $13 million against Chemour (a company also responsible for producing PFAS) (Schlanger).
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What is 171%?
PFA has been linked to elevated levels of cancer, infertility, and thyroid issues. According to a report done by the Brattle Group, this percent is the likelihood that a child around the affected areas will get cancer, a number that 3M denied. (Kary)
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Who is Joseph H. Simon?
3M bought this scientist's patent for the carbon-fluorine bond (the first PFAS) created through the Manhattan Project (Kary)
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What is without a doubt?
This is her answer to anyone who asks Eleanor if she is going to get her water tested since she lives 30 miles from the 3M Oakdale Waste Site and has a well water system (Hint: answer is 3 words, 13 letters)
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What is cancer warning: contains chemicals which cause cancer?
In 1998, 3M denied that PFAS were harmful to the EPA, yet executives told employees to erase all data from laptops. Just a year before, 3M had written a report to Teflon about its products with this title (Kary)
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What is $2.7 million, 180 acres?
This much money and land was awarded to Lake Elmo in this settlement? (Sepic) (Hint: $#, #acres
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What is 19 million in 43 states?
This many people in this many states of the US have PFA in their drinking water (answer What is # in # states)(Schlanger)
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What is 2002?
3M reformulated Scotchgard in this year, but replaced the PFAS in it with new types (Kary)
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What is improved filter systems?
This objected can help people prevent more PFA contamination (hint: the answer is improved ___ ___)(Minnesota Department of Health)
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Who is Pichard Purdy?
This 3M scientist called it "the most insidious pollutant since PCBs" and resigned shortly after? (Kary)
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What is 7
This many of the 19 wells in Woodbury have been closed down due to PFA pollution (Faircloth, Griswold)
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