Belgium calls for EU-wide ban on ‘forever chemicals’ following 3M pollution case

The Belgian government has thrown its weight behind a proposed EU-wide ban on the same chemicals found to have infected the soil beside a 3M factory near Antwerp. Per- and polyfluoroalkyl (PFAS), also known as so-called ‘forever chemicals’, have come to the attention of lawmakers due to the environmental and health risks they pose. The chemicals are widely used in consumer and industrial manufacturing for their non-stick and water-resistant properties. However, the strong carbon-fluorine bond within the chemicals means they do not break down or biodegrade. Furthermore, medical studies have linked them to cancer, hormone disruption and other illnesses. “Increased concentrations of PFAS have been found in the environment, in various locations in Belgium, which could have possible effects on human health,” said Céline Tellier, Walloon minister for the environment and nature. She told a meeting of European environment ministers in Luxembourg that Belgium would support the adoption of a ban covering PFAS as a defined group of substances. “This restriction will aim to prohibit all non-essential uses of PFAS and only allow specific uses for which there is evidence that they are essential for society and for as long as there are no alternatives,” she said. The minster also called for greater biomonitoring and, in cases where the use of PFAS cannot be substituted, she said the European Commission should ensure traceability as well as compliance checks. Tellier also called for greater knowledge-sharing between EU member states on best practice, environmental permits and the management of historical pollution cases. The use of PFAS hit the headlines in Belgium earlier this year over a case involving US conglomerate 3M and its previous use of the chemicals. The case centres on a 3M factory in the village of Zwijndrecht, near Antwerp. In 2018, it was discovered that large amounts of perfluorooctane sulfonic acid, a type of PFAS, were present in the surrounding soil. The chemical was produced by 3M between 1976 and 2002. The company has since stated that it has improved its waste-water treatment system and increased its testing process. “We continue to invest in state-of-the-art technology for treating the water, and we work in close collaboration with all the authorities concerned to keep them informed of all improvements made to the water treatment plant and the production processes,” it said in its statement. And at the end of August, 3M said it would implement “without delay” safety measures imposed by the Flemish environmental inspectorate, following an inspection at the Zwijndrecht plant. “We commit ourselves to implementing them without delay. However, we maintain that our business activities present no danger for the environment,” stated 3M. Meanwhile, US chemical company Chemours, an offshoot of DuPont that includes the brand Teflon, appeared in a landmark case at the EU’s Court of Justice in Luxembourg. The case regards the EU’s 2019 decision to include GenX fluorinated chemicals in its list of substances of very high concern. This means that any manufacturers of these substances have to share information about the materials’ hazardous properties with all of the counterparties on their supply chain. Chemours has used these chemicals as substitutes for PFASs and has challenged the decision. The European Chemicals Agency and the Netherlands government both appeared in court to defend the decision.

Belgium calls for EU-wide ban on ‘forever chemicals’ following 3M pollution case

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