MAY 26, 2015
COTTAGE GROVE, MINNESOTA
A nitric acid leak at 3M-Cottage Grove early Tuesday sent
one employee to a hospital for temporary monitoring but posed no risk to the
public, according to the company.
A 30-percent solution of nitric acid leaked from a container
in a manufacturing building, spilling 1,100 gallons of the liquid into a
contained area, 3M spokeswoman Donna Fleming Runyon said.
Employees noticed the leak around 6:50 a.m. and reported it.
Cottage Grove and Woodbury emergency crews responded to provide assistance, but
Fleming Runyon said the company’s on-site emergency team contained the leak.
The liquid was cleaned up and vapors from the nitric acid
were captured with water before they were released from the facility, Fleming
Runyon said. Based on the company’s conservative estimates, 3M believes there
is no health risk to the community, she said.
Two male employees were exposed to the chemical and one was
transported to Regions Hospital in St. Paul, according to the report received
by Cottage Grove police.
The employee transported to Regions was monitored but not
admitted, and he left the hospital later Tuesday.
As a precautionary measure, some 3M workers as well as
employees of the nearby city of Cottage Grove water treatment facility were
told to stay inside for about two hours after the leak.
Operations at the water treatment facility were not affected
by the leak.
The company contacted the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency
and the federal Environmental Protection Agency after the spill, Fleming Runyon
said.
“We take it very seriously,” she said. “We have plans for
this type of incident.”
3M Cottage Grove produces a great many things. You may be
surprised to learn just how much of what we do here touches your daily life.
All of the following and more utilize 3M products whose roots are right here.
Post-it® notes and Scotch® Magic™ tape
Your car's catalytic converter and gleaming clear coat
finish
Reflective road signs and license plates
Your front door and your kitchen cabinet door
The finish on your golf clubs
The screen on your flat screen TV, laptop computer or cell
phone
As an integral member of the community for more than over
60 years, we’ve been helping 3M bring innovative and useful products to
generations of satisfied customers.
One of the core values of 3M has always been our commitment
to the communities where we live and work. We’re proud of the ways 3M and our
employees give back to the community, from participating in volunteer
activities to championing environmental
efforts.
We feel fortunate to be part of the Cottage Grove community
and are committed to making this a great place for families to live, work and
play.
LIKE A SMALL CITY
Spread over 1,750 acres along the Mississippi River, 3M
Cottage Grove is a virtual, self-sufficient city because of our infrastructure.
We pump, process and treat our own water in addition to providing essential
safety and security services.
With operations in 35 different buildings, more than 700
people work here, many of them long-time employees… and many of them family
members. The site supplies nearly every one of 3M’s businesses and divisions,
making us one of the most diverse 3M sites in the world.
Multiple 3M divisions have operations here.
Our production facilities supply finished products to
customers around the world.
Pilot plants determine the feasibility of new products,
technologies and applications.
The 3M corporate incinerator is a safe, environmentally
sound way to dispose of industrial waste.
The site’s wastewater treatment plant continues to earn
positive commendations from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency.
Six 3M Divisions Call Us Home:
Abrasives Systems Division (ASD)
Automotive Division (AD)
Electronics Markets Materials Division (EMMD)
Film Manufacturing Supply Chain Operations (FMSCO)
Industrial Adhesives and Tape Division (IATD)
Materials Resource Division (MRD)