3M settles on payment for cleanup of a toxic industrial waste dump in Cuyahoga Valley National Park

[Guest guest]

3M settles on payment for cleanup in park

02/09/02

Boston Township

- 3M will pay $15.5 million toward the cleanup of a toxic industrial waste

dump in the middle of the Cuyahoga Valley National Park.

The U.S. Justice Department reached the settlement Thursday with the

company, formally known as Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Co.

The federal government had negotiated settlements in June with Ford Motor

Co., General Motors Corp., Daimler-Chrysler Corp., Waste Management Ohio

Inc., Chevron/Kewanee Industries Inc. and Federal Metal Co. of Oakwood.

Those companies paid a total of $4.77 million. 3M was the only company that

fought its liability in court.

The Department of Defense also put $660,000 toward the cleanup because it

had sent wastes to the dump.

3M will pay considerably more than it would have had it agreed to settle on

terms offered earlier, said L. Sansonetti, assistant attorney general

for the environment and natural resources.

© 2002 The Plain Dealer. Used with permission.