3M responsible for pollution, decides PFAS-PFOS Research Committee

The research committee PFOS-PFAS in the Flemish Parliament approved its final report on Monday. The committee explicitly points the finger at 3M as being responsible for the toxic PFOS pollution in the surroundings of Zwijndrecht and asks the Flemish government to do everything in its power to pass on the entire bill to the chemical company. 

The finger is not pointed at individual policy-makers, but according to the committee, the government failed to protect the people living near the 3M site. "That falls under a collective political policy responsibility," reads the report.

According to the committee, 3M is primarily responsible for the historical pollution and the Flemish government must hold the company responsible "in every way possible". This should lead to 3M paying the full bill for the pollution caused, including the clean-up and the resulting environmental, economic and health damage. The committee does not comment on a concrete way in which 3M can or should be held responsible. 

"Current policy was not within our scope," says committee chairman Hannes Anaf (Vooruit). He refers to commissioner Karl Vrancken, who will present a new report on tackling the broad PFAS issue tomorrow, which will be handed over to the Flemish government on Friday.

The committee does not explicitly point out political responsibilities, although politicians are not seen as blameless. "It is nuanced: we cannot say that politicians consciously did something wrong and consciously tried to poison people," said chairman Anaf during the last committee meeting. "We did have to conclude", Willem-Frederik Schiltz (Open Vld) added, "that politicians bear a responsibility: they could not protect the residents around the 3M site in Zwijndrecht. This committee recognises that responsibility without hesitation."

According to Schiltz, neither politics nor the Flemish administration kept an overview of the established contamination with PFAS, PFOS or other substances. "Thus uncertainty about a human toxicological risk resulted in the certainty that there was no risk." The committee therefore speaks of a collective political policy responsibility.

In addition to Flanders, governments in other European countries have also failed to protect their populations from certain chemical substances. That is why, according to the Committee, Flanders and Europe are at a turning point: they have to take preventive action instead of reactive action. How? Through more knowledge sharing between the government and scientists, a strengthening of the administration and better cooperation. Staff cuts and compartmentalisation are issues that must be tackled.

© BELGA PHOTO ERIC LALMAND