Sharon Lerner - Investigating 3M’s Use of Forever Chemicals | The Daily Show

[@DelawareriverkeeperOrg]

Back in 2005, we collected tap water samples from residents living near DuPont’s Chambers Works facility in New Jersey and found PFAS in their drinking water. We knew about this for such a long time and have been fighting to get state action in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware since then. Only recently in the spring of 2024 did the EPA finally adopt drinking water standards for certain kinds of PFAS.

[@kmick8108]

We had to replace leaded gasoline (ended 1996) with something worse. Ugh.

[@bestideawins]

Thank you Ms. Lerner and Michael -- interview was constructive. No laughing matter.

[@MamaTreNiner]

🏆

[@RsSquier51]

If I was to poison people I would go to prison, if a company does it they get a small fine. They should be criminally charged if they knew what they were doing.

[@Geekabibble]

Yup, exactly.

[@victoriaman117]

Amen!

[@QueWhat17]

Agreed!

[@winzyl9546]

Sorry you dont have the br̶i̶b̶i̶n̶g̶...I mean lobbying money to create fair laws.

[@transgreaser]

Don’t forget the bazillions in profits while we-the-people get cancer and medical debt.

[@brookejennette9424]

This is a perfect interview for Americans to watch! A funny, humble guy asking about something that we REALLY NEED to know about.

[@naylas3908]

There’s a big 3M scandal here in Belgium, too, about them illegally releasing PFAS into the river Scheldt, and dumping contaminated PFAS soil with no precautions or protection whatsoever.

[@LitReflex001]

Is there ANY corporation that isn't criminally scandalous?!

[@nicholasgardiner9601]

As soon as a chemical can be sold, then and thereafter no one can find any thing wrong with it. We got a product to sell here nothing to see here move along.

[@eemoogee160]

That is so evil. Destroying life's ability to thrive.

[@costidisa]

Half the country will watch this and still go vote for unbriddled capitalism and "free markets" with "less regulation". Because as we all know, corporations are always looking out for our well-being and money is more important than generational health. We are so f#$%&!

[@a1a12b2b]

Simple life fresh air organic food is over years ago 😅

[@HAHb-zc2dp]

It's sad children can't tell capitalism from corporatism. Us schools failed everyone

[@SeanTube2099]

No, what they’ll vote for is fascism.

[@HAHb-zc2dp]

@@costidisa capitalism cannot be turned into anything else. You're confused. And you may not even know the guiding principles of capitalism

[@HAHb-zc2dp]

@@costidisa fyi common sense isn't real and morality is often just cult think imposed by the larger group. For instance I find all religous "morality" absolutely disgusting.

[@sukn7091]

They shouldn’t keep using the term ‘company’ all the time, these are decisions made by people, and those people need to lose ALL their money and go to jail. Quit letting people hide behind their company.

[@hysanify]

Every company is just a piece of paper. Every company is controlled by people who pull their pants on, on leg at a time. They're the ones who decide to do this and to not do that.

[@derkeheath5172]

Problem is that corporations are considered people, only with more rights protecting them from most criminal responsibility. That was done on purpose so that the people who actually run the...ummm...people (?) CAN'T be held accountable.

[@ateamfan42]

You can thank the SCOTUS deciding corporations are "people" and the actual people are not accountable for anything terrible the corporation does.

[@hoopyfrood7887]

Citizens United was the final nail in the coffin, only way anything gets better is if we force money out of politics.

[@LitReflex001]

You have no idea. All corporations, including limited-liability corporations (a combination of an individual and a corporation), have exemption for their owners from liabilities that the company incurs during business. Isn't that crazy?

[@Gdiddydiddy]

Great interview. One critical aspect that wasn't covered was, what do PFAS chemicals actually do to human health, animal health etc.

[@billaddington831]

Best interview on the Daily Show ever! Please do more of this type of reporting

[@firstmkb]

I’m still trying to wrap my brain around the 1975 study they did. It takes another level of wishful thinking to ignore something impacting billions of people to keep your stock price up.

[@SidewalkCitizenLA]

Same time as the tobacco industry burying info about cancer and oil companies burying info about climate change...

[@jamesreid8638]

It's, always a calculated risk: if i make morbidly-unreasonable profits doing something which harms the public, will anyone find out and correct my misdeeds before i can stash my ill-gotten gains offshore?

[@ateamfan42]

"To maximize shareholder value by...." Nope, nothing in there about not poisoning people. Carry on.

[@nunyabidnez2708]

'75 is when i went to Chanute AFB to begin training as a government sponsored international terrorist (aka "firefighter"). Sharon interviewed me for this article.

[@SUPER_WOLFMOON]

We lived by 3M in the 80s. There was a swimming lake across the freeway from the main building, called Tanners Lake. I went in once and it smelled soo much like bandaids and my skin was waterproof and slick for a couole days! True story!

[@klope76]

Yeah, when the city of Oakdale tells you not to eat fish from Tanners Lake, you KNOW it's bad! I don't know why they even still have a swimming beach there

[@offtarget1758]

Thank you Sharon for your work!!

[@shutinalley]

They should be paying everybody's medical bills.

[@readwriteteach]

If we had universal health care like the rest of the civilized world the government, i.e. all of us, would be incentivized to prevent this kind of crime. Right now, the sicker we are the richer the for-profit health care system is. Insurance, pharma, private hospitals, you name it. The Free Market is a scam.

[@MadDragon75]

...Forever.

[@hoopyfrood7887]

Only way they'll pay a cent is if we make them, either through legislation or force.

[@longhorn7809]

Total medical spending must increase every year . Big percentage of GNP Suffering stuffs 💔 someone's pockets

[@sublimnalphish7232]

To the tune of going broke!!!

[@card_stock_gliders]

Too bad we don't have some sort of agency to protect the environment in this country. Someone should really look into that.

[@derkeheath5172]

Too bad the Republicans have been defunding and eliminating the powers of the FDA and other watchdog groups for decades.

[@glennosmond4306]

Yeah, that's it, a "protection agency" of some sort. They could guard the environment we all have in common. Imagine! We would be so proud of this agency! We would treat their investigation and recommendations with the utmost respect. We'd never have to worry about the air we breath or the water we drink ...just a dream, but something like this would never allow these chemicals into the streams of our forests or the blood stream of our children.

[@bigcatproductions2789]

Here in Wisconsin Republicans voted Down Our Governor Evers action to Combat PFAS ! 🤡🤯

[@kmick8108]

Republicans want to decide how the 125M gets spent. Evers vetoes because the Rs would turn it into a slush fund for their buddies.

[@DaveE99]

Three ways to deal with the absurd: suercide/religious beliefs in higher purpose/ or rebelling against the absurdity. I’ve gone through the first 2 and now I’m moving on to the last one. And in truth it’s the only true option. Live as if life is rebellion against the meaningless chaos these law and order people create.

[@kmick8108]

"Evers vetoed that Rs want to decide how 125M in PFAS trust gets spent. And we know their R buddies will win." Don't censor this.

[@lfeb]

How sad 😢

[@tdaniels151]

Hello from Maplewood MN, the city headquarters of 3M. I just had my first child. It’s really exciting to hear this about the business that is a five minute drive away 👍

[@chuckharris4504]

hello from Maine...the PFAS state...the way life shouldn't be...!!

[@readwriteteach]

Maine was lucky to have DEP employees sounding the alarm 15 years ago. I know of one who lost her job as a result. Also, I agree, being the nation’s tailpipe is not great.

[@adiposerex5150]

Great article. Thank you.

[@Vventure23]

Wow. The audience gasp when she said 1975 was amazing. Matched my own gasp lol. Incredible journalism. I would like to ask a follow up be done to discuss what effects having PFAS in your system has on one's body, and at what concentration. I note that people are saying this is a thing but not thoroughly explaining what the thing is!!

[@lucasdonahue365]

The reality is, this is precisely how corporate America operates throughout the country and in every industry. There is no morality and ethics is involved, all is sacrificed at the altar of Greed. I've seen it first-hand throughout my professional career. All the talk about "Responsibility, Accountability, Integrity" is just that, talk. If you start blowing a whistle, they find a way to silence you.

[@lazyperfectionist1]

I think it provides a curiously nuanced view of 3M that they first heard about these chemicals in the '70's, and at _that_ point, they could've opted to stop _producing_ forever chemicals and/or they could've diverted some of their resources to the development of safe methods to break them _down,_ and instead, they opted to develop methods to silence people who sound the _alarm_ about them.

[@Josegutierrez-kl8yv]

Wow I'm speechless

[@wday8302]

Plastic is "The New Lead(Pb)" of this Civilization

[@kmick8108]

Lead was known be damaging in the 1920s and it took until 1996 to get rid of leaded gasoline.

[@Nan-59]

THANKS for this info!

[@debbeleigh1930]

I appreciate the years she has put into her research ❤

[@ashwin_ramakrishnan]

I cannot focus at all with Michael saying "uh-huh" "yeah" and "right" every second

[@victoriabrandon9450]

Amazing I used to live very close to the Cumberland River very close to the lock which drains into Old Hickory Lake. This is in Nashville. I always got a feeling when I was there next to the 3M Plant. Thanks to Sharon's research I now know what that something is, but what to do?

[@victoriabrandon9450]

Corporate greed has been going on for eons. Let's not forget the Love Canal, Oak Ridge, Tennessee or companies in many other places around the world killing us slowly without impunity.

[@libbywiskowski9618]

My hometown of wausau, wi has one of the last oldest 3M building in the country. So many genetic health issues around here, much environmental corruption and zero support or relief to the most vulnerable communities who have been affected. I personally have had cytogenetic abnormalities medically documented since birth (1987) and I had to seek out genetics myself to explain it to me as an adult and also pursue the correct dx of the health issues I have. Yay for 31 yrs to a correct connective tissue disorder diagnosis, so much unknowing injuries, damage ect. I'll get none of that time back, my body will always be broken and I'll always have no choice to have these bad health outcomes.

[@Jayne-bk1qp]

Excellent interview, Thank you. I am in the process of changing my lifestyle habits with this most important information.

[@lauramallory4798]

❤❤❤❤❤ thank you soooooo much for being pushy! 😂 keep up the fabulous work and tiring work

[@Redmenace96]

I like investigative journalists, and shedding light is important. Please don't think she is scientist. She knows a lot on this subject, but is not a biologist nor medically trained.

[@aw3866]

Kosta is WAY better behind the desk. Loving him lately!

[@grahamfraser2150]

deep down i think everyone knows that nothing is going to change.

[@sandray7609]

Great doctor Dupont about this topic called The Devil we Know.

[@Monika-mh2je]

That's the reason corporations shouldn't have lobbyists, so government not be bought by them . Watch the movie: Dark water

[@thecasualchemist-S]

I am one of the engineers working the PFAS response for a fortune-500 company. We use tens of thousands of PFAS-containing products. These chemicals are in everything. And no, 3M didn't tell us the truth either. 3M is discontinuing their PFAS lineup in December of 2025 - completely leaving the market. The EU, alongside many US States, are trying to introduce PFAS regulations to limit the use and manufacture of these chemicals. In industry, we've been taking steps for years. Sadly, because these compounds are so ubiquitous, their phase-out will take decades. It's not just single-use plastics; PFAS are used in medical devices, the oil and gas industry - you name it. This will be a generation-long effort, but i believe we can do it. We've done it before for CFCs and chromium.

[@readwriteteach]

We need universal health care to incentivize responsible environmental lawmaking. Stat!

[@libbywiskowski9618]

​100% agree. Give the people the ability and access to be as healthy as they can and proactively be aware. We must direct the changes we want to see in the future and now. We know it is possible to do better and we shouldn't have to be given no choice to suffer through without accurate and accessible health care. ​@@readwriteteach

[@leward7788]

I remember the scotch -guard "scandal" one would've thought, from all the noise, they just kept it up

[@freshmacarons]

More on this topic please! From your neighbour the PFAS-filled being

[@shadowcivilian9942]

This is many many companies. Profit over health, safety and quality.

[@kc10man]

When I was a new guy on the Air Force (1999), California banned the de-icing chemical we had on base (Travis AFB). In response, I watched in person, my workmates take the trucks under orders to an area near the end of the runway that is protected wet lands and dump it all out. I was appalled but also the new guy.

[@bubblesezblonde]

WEll Done Michael!!!

[@CallMeCoachWalker]

And if you pay a company for water service, now you’re paying to have those chemicals removed from your water. Please get furious about this! $12B+ is nowhere near enough for these heinous acts! They made 100s of trillions of dollars on these products…less than $13B in fines and we get to pay to get rid of it…on top of paying for the products that contain(ed) and paying for our healthcare costs for the untold negative health issues these compounds cause… and who knows how it has truly affected the environment, so we may be paying for it with increased climate events. I know a lot of that is speculation and unproven, but most if not all is not disproven…

[@ultratron]

there was a last week tonight on this as well

[@FLASH-MATT]

Thank you for your work Ms. Lerner! 🙏

[@lalah9481]

Thank you.

[@naoise555]

So, just because a plastic bottle says "PFOA Free," it's twin sister chemical could still be in it.

[@deekbosko]

I was seriously eating microwave popcorn when I learned just now that PFAS is also in microwave popcorn. 😬

[@ShawnsterVideos]

thank you.

[@london_to_the_bay]

Imagine a world with accountability

[@ernie5229]

" PFOS stay in the body for many years. It takes nearly four years for the level in the body to go down by half." -Pennsylvania Department of Health Far from "forever." The heart of journalism is truth. Without it, you have activism and indoctrination.

[@noblejennette2101]

Costa gotta work on his “yah”s in interviews

[@gailremp8389]

Great

[@jacqueline755]

I grew up with BIG Slogan. "BETTER LIVING WITH CHEMISTRY!" as simple as Please and Thank you. It became the ironic slang for Mental Health Rx.

[@matthewcaldwell8100]

Whitmer's running cover for these factories as they destroy people's lives is why I despise her.

[@kmick8108]

Rs want to tell Evers how to spend 125M in trust on PFAS. We know how that will go. WI has 8B surplus because Rs gotta decide how to give it to friends.

[@drewcoowoohoo]

Mirroring someone else's, you know, verbal tic, you know - is it building rapport or just especially annoying, you know?

[@DaveE99]

We always say “there need to be consequences for companies that do this”. Is there even a single country that actually creates consequences that hurt enough for them to stop or do we need a new way to think about this given that that’s unlikely to ever happen

[@gshak33]

The most insane thing about this article is that the woman in the article discovered that pregnant women actually pass down the PFAS in their blood to their newborn children so even a completely newborn baby already has these forever chemicals in their blood.

[@citizenenak]

How much did 3M make during COVID?

[@ValenceFlux]

I like how some shops told apprentices to use 3m tape over your cuts and keep working. I will never be able to forget taking a math exam with inflamed hands and the crew that thought it was funny. So of those guys argue you just have to build an immunity to it and if you can't oh well for you and others like me. How many hazards does it take to end up with some crazy immune disorder?

[@dawhizinoz]

🤔 I wonder. Could these chemicals companies be sued under the new abortion laws? Aren't these, or can it be stated that everyone of these companies contribute to arrested development another term for abortion? If we bankrupt them now in these matters and are successful, these companies will wish they would have remained regulated. Just a thought, 🤔

[@kmick8108]

Are you trying to make anti abortion laws useful?

[@dawhizinoz]

@@kmick8108 Yes! In making them pay, they might disappear. Let's face it, corporations took over everything. Two birds one stone.

[@ruthspanos2532]

As if the current Supreme Court wouldn’t just say that we have historically allowed corporations to pollute with impunity, so according to originalism, they get to keep polluting. And then the Supremes could get their gratuity from 3m just like our founders intended.

[@RTXBRINGER]

forever chemicals have been in all city and county water for decades. This makes sense, but what can we do now?

[@Gooden_Eye]

we're living through the modern roaring 20's and we're faced with Gilded Age pt. 2 -- "caveat emptor" is back baby, get these corporations a tax break (JK)...😧🧐

[@henryhyzer]

Can I mention that the Florida keys are a part of the map of the USA but don't make it to the daily show map?? Come on show me the KEYS!!!

[@kmick8108]

Yoopers are forgotten regularly and sometimes get attached to Wisconsin.

[@RemotHuman]

11:00 another similar way to reduce content in your body is to donate bl00d regularly

[@ecsyntric]

doesn’t everyone at 3M also get PFAS

[@SomewhatBaffled]

If you can't see it, people will ignore it.

[@metalxhead]

I wish they talked about the EFFECTS of this chemical. What does it MEAN to have these forever chemicals in our bodies? What do they do to us? What levels are dangerous, and what levels are we at? I feel like I have to watch the John Oliver piece again because this wasn't actually very informative. (Or find this article, which I assume I have to pay for?)

[@autumnspanne3465]

In fact you don't have to pay for Sharon Lerner's story on ProPublica - here it is! www.propublica.org/article/3m-forever-chemicals-pfas-pfos-inside-story For additional information about the health effects of PFAS chemicals: www.ehn.org/what-are-pfas-2656619391.html

[@charlenethompson7585]

Wow

[@lauraw.7008]

Capitalism; don’t allow the EPA to do its job, change the rules when they try, and don’t make the makers (“big settlement “) ACTUALLY pay for repairs .

[@irmamcnulty1633]

Michael let her talk stop interrupting

[@Thrankson]

14 Billion, just last year AND they have been profiting from this since before 1975!! WHY❓

[@LeechyKun]

And they wonder people under 30 are developing cancer earlier... PFS, food dyes, shampoo fuzz, teflon, etc. etc.

[@majorbriggs-v2f]

Corporations own the government, so not sure the fines will go up.

[@bmiller949]

I always say, "follow the money...".

[@brucewilson2763]

But aren’t profits the most important thing?

[@larryschwartzman6515]

Even when the investors are too sick to spend them? The ground too polluted to produce sustenance for our population? What’s truly important?

[@jamesreid8638]

Only if there will be no future generations...

[@brucewilson2763]

@@larryschwartzman6515 sarcasm.

[@brucewilson2763]

@@jamesreid8638 sarcasm

[@davidcamacho8616]

What is her name, the tester???

[@johncall293]

Interview it was never discussed what this can do to the human body

[@emu_warrior]

cancer, it's always cancer

[@Zak_How]

John oliver did an awesone episode on PFAS forever chemicals

[@petermastenbroek7719]

Thereby opening "some" peoples eyes.

[@Richard-ug4el]

Awesome. I'm going to look for that now. I was just googling PFOS, but John is way better :)

[@Zak_How]

@@Richard-ug4el yeah he is one of my favs. Hope you like the episode glad I could spread the word

[@MamaTreNiner]

​@@Zak_How🏆

[@emu_warrior]

Oliver does every subject like this so much more justice. For daily show it's just a short interview

[@bigcatproductions2789]

Don't forget Dupont Teflon

[@martymethuselah]

they have a Teflon Dupont CEO

[@ChannelMath]

also made with flourine

[@MrCityslickerktm]

One of the chief scientists at DuPont was once appointed the #2 guy at the EPA. He then brought more DuPont execs with him to the EPA. The very agency that was supposed to being investigating DuPont and protecting us from their harmful chemicals had their own exes running the "investigation". How insane was that?

[@Maya_Pinion]

Yes!!!!! THANKU. Sooooo many.

[@Maya_Pinion]

​​@@ChannelMathteens ,healthy teens begging for ozem pic or using their mom's. !!!!

[@apocalypse487]

The original interview with the scientist was on ProPublica. More Americans need to support real journalism.

[@transgreaser]

@@apocalypse487 Truth.

[@hughjaass3787]

Sure wish more info about Glycosphate aka-RoundUp, being very dangerous!!!!!!

[@jordanrussell345]

It's glyphosate and the only thing we have currently less dangerous is industrial vinegar.

[@NookoftheNorth]

Terrifying. 3M sounding like Dupont

[@tesera227]

More like Dupont learned from 3M and bought the remaining supply stock of C8 (PFOA=PFOS) from 3M before 3M had to stop making it, that's what Dupont used to make teflon. I just finished reading EXPOSURE by: Robert Bilott the lawyer that took Dupont to court and lasted almost 20 years, the movie Darkwater is about him and his book. It's a riveting read but it will for sure make you MAD AF how they got away with it for so long and continues to and how useless and bought the EPA is.

[@TooMuchDramaInTheMilkyWay]

Brings new meaning to the term “blood money” when a company knowingly sells a product, that they knew permanently leaves chemicals in your blood.

[@Wetcamerainc]

Maybe misanthropy is right

[@HAHb-zc2dp]

No, it doesnt

[@DaveE99]

With publicly traded companies it’s the incentive structure to act like that and I no longer see the goverment and corporations as seperate. People act like facism is merging of the two and no, that’s a right wing authoritarian and strong dominance personality trait goverment, So if you look at it like that, the state of the country makes more sense because companies roughly operate based on laws and incentive structures of the goverment and thus are a sort of decentralized way to manage a complex system that is a society. A country isn’t divided by goverment and private, it’s just a single complex system with different strategies for managing certain goals to enhance our lives.

[@ateamfan42]

"To maximize shareholder value by...." Nope, nothing in there about not poisoning people. Carry on.

[@DaveE99]

@@ateamfan42 yeah and the part they leave out about “maximizing shareholder value” is the distain people often have for lower classes of people or just the fact that when you don’t have oxytocin bonds or vassopressin binds with people under a common banner, then they just exist to extract your energy to benefit themselves

[@dm-31024]

THANK YOU Sharon Learner. What you have done is important and a great service. Respect.

[@NancyPower33]

These companies must be held responsible - by spending a large percentage of their annual profits on developing technology to remove these chemicals from the environment. Clean up your own mess (with 3rd party supervision and evaluation)!

[@KtotheL]

this is what i LIVE FOR ( not forever chemicals ) GREAT REPORTING !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@sv8911]

Thank you, Sharon, for your excellent work.

[@derkeheath5172]

Whenever I feel down on myself, I just remind myself that I don't have a job that actively hurts people, I don't support a political party that actively hurts people, and I don't spread hate and bigotry online. I may not be lighting up the world with brilliance, but I'm not trying to burn it down either. It so hard these days to ethically buy ANYTHING.

[@sweetiebird544]

very well said. I too am trying to do my little part knowing it won't accomplish much in the big picture but at least I know I did the right thing. Telling others is important also.

[@dm-31024]

This is important. THANKS daily show for bringing this to a broader audience. This matters.

[@ConsciousSonder]

As some that holds a bachelor’s degree in environmental economics and public policy, I’m appalled, but not surprised. This supports the notion that historically underserved communities are disproportionately impacted by environmental catastrophes. The poorest of the poor, simply cannot afford to avoid single use plastic products.

[@traviscutler9912]

And no one goes to jail. The system works

[@MamaTreNiner]

Sadly...🤬🤬🤬

[@ateamfan42]

In the most extreme cases, the corporation pays some minor fines that are seen as just a cost of doing business, and then carry on.

[@bhonest-gb5zg]

Only if you rich

[@tom9380]

One of the most important interviews of the year! Also the DarkWater movie was a pioneer for awareness. 3M should be sued out of business.

[@thedudeabides3138]

Fair play to Sharon for taking a year of her life to expose this corporate indifference and greed. Public awareness and consciousness will be stimulated by this and results will follow.

[@rtd1791]

Color me doubtful.

[@thedudeabides3138]

@@rtd1791 I’d agree with you on any discernible action happening with any kind of immediacy, but a seed of awareness has been placed into public consciousness and from that will come change.

[@bhonest-gb5zg]

​@@rtd1791well she is trying to get famous and make money😂 all of America is built on this someone is always selling something

[@mister_manager]

​@@bhonest-gb5zg Nobody goes into investigative journalism to get rich and famous 😂 she says she's there to spread awareness, and clearly doesn't have the personality of someone who strives to be on TV, she's just stating facts without dressing them up

[@maririttner198]

Unfortunately, there are so many more companies that do this as well. It's like whack - a - mole.

[@MamaTreNiner]

Great share... Another reason why voting is vitally important!!! ✊🏿✊🏽✊️✊🏻💙💙💙

[@mhkpt]

I read the whole ProPublica piece - it's incredible work. Thank you for platforming this vital and underappreciated kind of reporting!

[@FishareFriendsNotFood972]

Thank you for covering this, I knew nothing about this prior to this report

[@catherinepraus8635]

Every time I throw away some plastic my soul dies a little the reason the government is on this is because it’s all about the money they don’t care about us we’re just collateral damage follow the money

[@dangergirlbrooks3575]

Dupont Corning killed my father by deciding to stop making his trachea tubes because they weren't cost efficient to make and sell.

[@eyeDavid]

Michael did great in this interview

[@NewMessage]

Sometimes I wonder if Kosta is host material... But he recognized the audience was so down over this that two attempts at breaking the tension failed... and he kept on it 'till they finally broke, and the laughs started flowing. He saved the Audience from a sad, quiet ride home later.