On Friday, Gov. Snyder asked the state's attorney general to file a lawsuit against 3M, the company that is believed to have contaminated drinking water with their Scotchgard and firefighting foam products, which contain PFAS.
The chemicals have contaminated more than 30 sites throughout the state, including 700 private wells in Kent County through Wolverine Worldwide's dumping of waste containing Scotchgard.
In the letter to A.G. Bill Schuette, the governor said these products are the "determining contributor" to the presence of PFAS in Michigan resident's drinking water.
After the news, several Michigan lawmakers responded to Snyder initiating the legal proceedings against 3M.
State representative, Winnie Brinks (D-Grand Rapids), introduced a bill in December to make Michigan the strictest state on PFAS in the nation. She gave Snyder credit for the move.
"We have contamination from Wolverine's use of it," she said. "But throughout the state we have other sources, and so I think that it's smart to be talking about the original source."
Michigan state Rep. Chris Afendoulis (R-Grand Rapids) also supports Snyder's actions.
"I share the Governor's position that the state should pursue legal action to hold all potentially responsible parties accountable in this matter," he said. "My focus remains on taking action to ensure that my constituents have access to the highest quality drinking water possible."
U.S. representative, Dan Kildee (D-Flint) said Michigan should follow in the footsteps of the state of Minnesota, who recently held 3M accountable in court with an $850 million settlement.
"Other states, including Minnesota and New York, have already taken similar legal action," said Kildee. "Attorney General Schuette must act to hold companies accountable for the damage they have caused."
Rep. Bill Huizenga (R-Zeeland) had a different perspective than the other Michigan lawmakers. He said that Wolverine Worldwide and other parties using 3M's products are responsible.
"Suing the manufacturer is probably not the right direction to go," he said. "You need to look at who used the product and what they did with the product as they were disposing it. They have to be dealt with strongly and we have to make sure they're doing the right thing."
At the end of June, a Kent County judge ruled that 3M could be pulled into more than 100 water contamination lawsuits against Wolverine Worldwide.
The attorney general's office said on Friday that they received the request are they are now reviewing it.
3M responded to the potential lawsuit with this statement:
"3M cares deeply about the safety and health of Michigan's communities. 3M believes that it acted responsibly in connection with products containing PFAS, and will vigorously defend its environmental stewardship."
The Attorney General's office said that they've received the letter and it's under review. Snyder's full letter to Schuette can be seen here:
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