Dive Brief:
- Chemical maker giant 3M has paused all PFAS manufacturing processes at its plant in Zwijndrecht, Belgium, according to a securities filing out Monday.
- The idling comes after environmental regulators in the country detected “illegal” PFAS emissions being released from the Zwijndrecht facility, according to The Brussels Times. In its securities filing, 3M acknowledged it has been working "through certain regulatory matters" connected to PFAS emissions at the facility.
- 3M is trying to decide whether to pause PFAS production at the site or cease production altogether since it plans to phase out the use of the “forever chemicals” from its manufacturing and products by the end of 2025.
Dive Insight:
Although non-PFAS processes remain operational at the facility, the company said in its securities filing the PFAS pause could have a large impact — as the firm’s customers rely on the Zwijndrecht plant for supplies or quality, and they may not be available at nearby 3M facilities.
In turn, the development at the Zwijndrecht plant could also affect "these businesses' ability to fulfill supply obligations to their customers," creating a supply chain ripple effect.
Last month, environmental regulators in Belgium found increased PFAS emissions in May and July around 3M's Zwijndrecht plant. At the time, the agency had planned to conduct further investigation at the site and urged 3M to take additional measures by coming up with a dust mitigation plan.
The Zwijndrecht facility produces adhesives for industrial and consumer use, synthetic rubbers for the automotive, aerospace and chemical industries, and fluids for the production of semiconductors and refrigerants for the electronics industry, as well as water-resistant coatings.
This is not the first time the Zwijndrecht plant has paused production. In 2021, the Flemish environmental agency ordered the chemical giant to idle some of its processes at the plant.
The company was able to restart production in July 2022 as well as enter into an agreement with the Flemish government to invest over 571 million euros as well as carry out previously agreed-upon PFAS-related remedial actions.
