SAINT PAUL, Minn. – Today, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency announced that 3M will be required to pay a $2.8 million penalty for a serious of violations dating back to 1996, most of which occurred at the company’s hazardous waste storage and incineration site in Cottage Grove. Rep. Rick Hansen (DFL – South St. Paul) issued the following statement in response:
“Twenty five years of hazardous waste mismanagement is not a mistake, but a standard operating procedure. 3M failed its neighbors again, and paying a penalty is not a sufficiently effective deterrent. White collar crimes such as this should result in resignations and restitution, as well as formal regret!”