3M costs for PFAS suits, cleanup could hit $10 billion

Says Dee DePass for the Star Tribune, “A rash of recent lawsuits against 3M have intensified concerns that it could face massive legal and cleanup costs over a class of chemicals called PFAS. The Maplewood-based industrial giant has already reached a historic $850 million pollution settlement with Minnesota. It settled a $35 million case with an Alabama water authority in April to treat PFAS chemicals that leaked into the Tennessee River. More are in the pipeline. … 3M has set aside an additional $235 million to cover legal claims, but some estimates of the ultimate cost exceed $10 billion.”

For MPR, Cody Nelson reports, “A 19-year-old St. Paul man is dead and seven other people were hurt following a shootout in the parking lot of a Spring Lake Park restaurant and event center overnight Saturday.  The Anoka County Sheriff’s Office identified the man killed as Chai Yang. Most of the people injured are also from St. Paul: Keng Moua, 19; Chimua Lor, 22; John Thoa, 26; Jann Her, 34; Kou Yang, 37 and Lee Vang Lor, 38. Also injured was Ger Yang, 29, of Pine City. Their injuries aren’t life-threatening, according to the sheriff’s office. … The shootings took place in Dala Thai’s parking lot as it hosted ‘Bigg Monster’s Ugly Sweater Party,’ an 18-and-older event featuring several local and national musicians.”

KARE 11’s Bill Strande reports: “A man died after breathing in fumes in a silo in rural Millerville on Saturday, and now that man’s brother has passed away too. Steven Boesl, 49, died at the scene of the accident Saturday while trying to save his brother and nephew, according to the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office. On Sunday, authorities say Curt Boesl, 47, passed away at the hospital. … The farm on Gravel Pit Road in Douglas County belongs to Curt Boesl, the Millerville Assistant Fire Chief. Boesl and his 12-year-old son Alex passed out atop a silo holding high-moisture corn. The fermenting process creates a gas, commonly known as silo gas, that had escaped.”

From the Rochester Post-Bulletin: “A fire in a staff kitchen Sunday morning caused minor fire, smoke and water damage to the Kahler Grand Hotel. One person was treated and released on the scene by Mayo Clinic Ambulance Services, according to the Rochester Fire Battalion Chief on duty Sunday. Fire crews were called to the Kahler shortly before 9 a.m. for a fire alarm. Responding crews found a fire in an 11th-floor staff kitchen that was being contained by the hotel sprinkler system. Crews evacuated the 11th floor and extinguished the fire, and the fire damage was isolated to the room.”

Says Matthew Guerry in the Duluth News Tribune, “Like a lot of women, Lynn OJala remembers being told to stick to traditional gender roles when she was a child. … It came as something of a shock to her friends and family, then, when she told them as an adult that she planned to obtain a private aircraft pilot’s license. In the nearly 40 years since she earned hers, the retired flight attendant has logged hundreds of flight hours, most of which were spent in a plane that she built with her late husband. Heartened as she is by the growing number of female pilots entering the field, she acknowledged recently that gender parity in the field of aviation is still a ways off. In the U.S. and in Minnesota, women make up only a tiny fraction of active, licensed aircraft pilots. According to the most recent statistics from the Federal Aviation Administration, approximately 633,000 Americans held pilot’s licenses of one kind or another in 2018.”

For The Hill, Justine Coleman says, “A Minnesota voter is challenging the Republican-submitted primary ballots that only include President Trump as a candidate … . Erick Kaardal, Martin’s attorney, said in a statement to The Hill that he are looking forward to arguing to ‘stop the Trump-only GOP presidential primary ballot.’ ‘Minnesota’s thirteen million dollar taxpayer-funded presidential primary ballot is spoiled by an unconstitutional system allowing political party chairs to choose their respective candidates’. Kaardal said. ‘Fortunately, the Minnesota Constitution prohibits the state legislature from granting such powers to an individual, association or corporation.’ The Minnesota voter said he wants to vote for Roque ‘Rocky’ De La Fuente, a Republican businessman.”

Says Neal St. Anthony for the Star Tribune, “Something is (going) up at the once-blighted corner of Chicago Avenue and E. Lake Street. John Wolf, the owner since 2000 of recently remodeled Chicago-Lake Liquors, will open early next year a $10 million-plus, 48-unit, studio-only apartment building on the southeast corner, as well as an expanded Los Ocampo Mexican restaurant. … The five-level ‘Sophi’ building, designed by DJR Architecture, features furnished studios of 460 to 547 square feet. Rents start at $1,450 per month, including utilities, a small gym and bike lockers.”

Also at The Hill, Rebecca Klar writes, “Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) commended Rachel Dratch on the comedian’s portrayal of her during a ‘Saturday Night Live’ skit of Thursday’s Democratic debate. ‘Bangs. Glued.’ Klobuchar tweeted, along with a gif from the skit. ‘Thanks @TheRealDratch! You played a good me.’ Dratch, a former SNL cast member who returned to play Klobuchar, responded to Klobuchar, thanking her for being a ‘good sport.’”