Amid controversy, MPCA paying more attention to 3M chemicals

Associated Press, Martiga Lohn
Published October 25, 2005

Managers at the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency recently have been paying more attention to a group of potentially hazardous chemicals once made by 3M Co., an MPCA engineer said at a Senate hearing Tuesday. The chemicals and their dangers are at the core of a dispute between the state's environmental protection agency and one of its scientists, Dr. Fardin Oliaei, who's suing the MPCA, saying its leaders have tried to thwart her research. Don Kriens, a principal engineer responsible for perfluorochemicals, or PFCs, said he and Oliaei were called to a meeting with managers three weeks ago to talk about their research. "I think this hearing has prompted a considerable amount of activity," Kriens told lawmakers on the Senate Environment and Natural Resources Committee. He also said he thought the agency had treated Oliaei unfairly. Oliaei said her problems with the MPCA included rejected research proposals, a threat to terminate her program and a written reprimand after she gave an interview to Minnesota Public Radio News. She said she took vacation time and paid her own expenses to attend national conferences, after managers declined to underwrite her trips. "At every turn this MPCA management has tried to hinder my work in investigating the PFC problem," Oliaei said. "I am pushing and pushing for a project that are not a part of the commissioner's priorities." MPCA Deputy Commissioner Kristen Applegate declined to comment on Oliaei's complaints because of the pending lawsuit. But she said the MPCA has been active on the chemicals since it learned about them in 2002. MPCA Commissioner Sheryl Corrigan -- a former 3M manager appointed to the agency in early 2003 -- wasn't at the hearing. Applegate said Corrigan has removed herself from all decisions involving the Maplewood-based company, including the chemicals. "It was clearly understood by those who were working for her that she does not make decisions on 3M issues," Applegate said. But both Oliaei and Kriens said they didn't know that was Corrigan's stance until late 2004 or early this year, when a reporter asked about it. Sen. John Marty, who heads the committee, said he thinks MPCA employees have been under pressure not to study the chemicals. "It seems to me that there's a company putting undue pressure on the agency," Marty said after the hearing. "Maybe they're not putting the pressure on, but certain people in the agency are certainly trying to carry water for them." 3M made perfluorochemicals for products including Teflon and earlier versions of Scotchgard. The company phased them out between 2000 and 2002 after residual levels turned up far afield from consumer products -- including in human blood banks and wildlife. They also were found in wells in Lake Elmo and the public water supply in Oakdale. PFCs don't break down naturally. High doses cause cancer and birth defects in lab rats. The company has said the chemicals don't threaten human health or the environment. Oliaei's lawsuit against the MPCA has been filed in federal court, but no hearing has been set, said her lawyer, Rocky Chrastil.