3M Company Settlement

(Washington, D.C. - April 25, 2006) EPA and the 3M Company reached a $1.5 million settlement to resolve reporting violations under the Toxics Substances Control Act (TSCA) that the company voluntarily disclosed to EPA. EPA filed the settlement with the agency's Environmental Appeals Board today, for their review.

3M voluntarily disclosed all of the violations covered by this settlement under the terms of a TSCA corporate-wide audit agreement. Under the terms of the settlement, 3M neither admitted nor denied that it had violated TSCA and EPA made no substantive determination in all but 10 instances. 3M had previously agreed and subsequently performed a comprehensive management systems review of 28 separate business units and facilities and to determine the compliance status of all TSCA-regulated chemicals and processes. 3M agreed to pay a $1,521,481 penalty for 244 separate counts under TSCA. As a result of the audit, 3M has corrected a number of violations, including failures to notify EPA on new chemicals, late reporting on substantial risk information, and other reporting violations. During the course of the audit, 3M produced valuable, previously unreported information that will help the scientific community to better understand the presence of toxic substances in the environment.

For more information, contact:

Tony Ellis
U.S. EPA
1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20460
Office: 202-564-4167
Tony Ellis (ellis.tony@epa.gov)

Dean Ziegel
U.S. EPA
1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20460
Office: 202-564-4038
Dean Ziegel (ziegel.dean@epa.gov)