Melbourne, Australia — The Australian government has filed a lawsuit against U.S. conglomerate 3M for over $1.4 billion in compensation due to contamination from firefighting foam at defense bases. This is the country’s largest-ever claim for compensation.
The contamination involves per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), commonly known as “forever chemicals” because they do not break down naturally. These chemicals are increasingly being restricted worldwide due to their adverse health effects.
3M, based in Minnesota, stated that it has never manufactured PFAS in Australia and ceased sales of the products at issue around two decades ago. However, the Australian Department of Defense continued using PFAS-containing firefighting foams for nearly two decades longer.
PFAS have been used since the 1950s in household and industrial products that resist heat, stains, grease, and water. The firefighting foam containing PFAS was effective against fuel fires. In 2018, the Australian Defense Department warned residents near its Richmond Air Base outside Sydney to reduce their consumption of locally produced fish and eggs after PFAS were found in nearby groundwater.
Attorney-General Michelle Rowland accused 3M of withholding information about environmental risks posed by the foam. The Commonwealth is seeking more than $2 billion in damages to recover significant past and future expenses related to investigating and managing contamination from historic storage and use of this foam, according to Rowland.
Assistant Defense Minister Peter Khalil stated that his department has already spent $920 million on managing and mitigating environmental impacts of the foam. The department removed 220,000 U.S. tons of contaminated earth from bases and treated 3.4 billion gallons of contaminated water, he said. This legal action is described as the most significant undertaken by the Commonwealth and Defence in living memory, Khalil stated.