3M Will Pay Bemidji $12.5 Million to Help Treat Water

BEMIDJI (AP) -- The city of Bemidji has reached a settlement with 3M to help pay for treating contamination in its water supply.

3M will pay $12.5 million to help build and operate a treatment facility to remove chemicals known as PFAS, which the company manufactured for use as firefighting foam.

The city found elevated levels of PFAS in its wells in 2016 and linked the source of the contamination to firefighting foam used during training at the regional airport, which is located near the wells.

Some PFAS have been linked to health problems including low birth weight, kidney and thyroid issues and some cancers.