Some 90 individual lawsuits filed in Kent County, MI, allege that Wolverine’s now closed tannery polluted their drinking water with the PFOS chemicals used to waterproof leather, and the complaints further allege that the company knew about the risks of its chemical products as early as 1999 based on a letter sent by 3M, one of the makers of PFOS, warning of possible risks. The letter affirms 3M’s belief at the time that the chemicals were safe, but does not mention that 3M was acting under pressure from the EPA to eliminate PFOS because of the environmental risks. The letter ... Log in to view full article.