3M's plan to burn more waste draws fire in Cottage Grove

A chasm of mistrust between many Cottage Grove residents and the city's major employer, 3M Co., is widening as a plan to bring more materials to the state's only hazardous waste incinerator proceeds.

An emotion-charged community forum organized by the Coalition of Concerned Cottage Grove Citizens on Monday night drew a standing-room crowd.

Cottage Grove and the 3M plant have had a close relationship for more than 60 years, but the schism has developed over the company's request to the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) to take hazardous waste from other companies to burn at the incinerator. A reduction in its own waste precipitated the request.

"It was always the understanding, with any dealings we had with 3M, that that incinerator was for 3M waste only," said Sandy Schiely, former Cottage Grove mayor and City Council member. "... I don't see anything in this proposal that benefits the people of Cottage Grove."

But Roland Anderson, one of four lead operators at the incinerator, said inaccurate and incomplete information has tainted the perception of the plan and unfairly tarnished 3M's image. Sampling and testing at the site is rigorous, and the safety record is strong, he added. "I am proud of how well we perform this task."

But most residents who spoke, along with local leaders and state lawmakers, voiced strong opposition during the three-hour session.

"This is wrong," said Morgan Jenkins, who worked his way through college at 3M. "No disrespect to 3M employees -- that's not what this is about. This is about being responsible to the air we all share and breathe."

3M's request comes as the company has begun cleaning up perfluorochemicals (PFCs) improperly disposed of at the plant in the 1960s. While the issues are separate, it's clear they are part of the rift, a fact borne out in a survey by Decision Resources Ltd. of Minneapolis.

The survey found that, in 2001, 86 percent of city residents had a favorable or very favorable impression of 3M, compared with 69 percent in 2010. Those with an unfavorable impression had grown from 11 percent nine years ago to 23 percent now.

Fred Luden, the former site manager for 3M's Cottage Grove plant and a former city council member, is now a leader in the citizen's coalition.

"As you have heard from the residents and in the survey data, there is a trust issue in the community in accepting what 3M states as a fact," he said.

Greg Kvaal, project engineer for the MPCA, said a draft of the permit will likely be ready by April or May, and there will be time for formal public comments before a decision is made.