Australia sues 3M for $1.4B over 'forever chemical' contamination

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(FOX 9) - Australia is taking legal action against 3M, seeking billions in damages for chemical contamination linked to firefighting foam used at military bases.

Australia files record lawsuit over 3M ‘forever chemicals’

What we know:

The Australian government filed a lawsuit in the Federal Court of Australia against 3M and its subsidiary, 3M Australia, seeking more than $1.4 billion in damages.

The claim centers on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), often called "forever chemicals," which do not break down naturally and have contaminated 28 defense sites.

According to the Associated Press, Attorney-General Michelle Rowland has accused 3M of withholding key information about the environmental dangers of the foam, saying, "The Commonwealth [of Australia] is seeking more than AU$2 billion ($1.4 billion USD) in damages to recover significant past and future expenses incurred in investigating and managing contamination resulting from the historic storage and use of this foam."

PFAS has been widely used since the 1950s in products that resist heat, stains, grease and water, including firefighting foam that was effective against fuel fires.

The Australian Defense Department previously warned residents near Richmond Air Base outside Sydney to limit their consumption of local fish and eggs after PFAS was found in groundwater.

Australia cleanup efforts

Dig deeper:

The AP reports that Assistant Defense Minister Peter Khalil says the department has already spent AU$1.3 billion ($920 million USD) on cleanup and environmental management, including removing 220,000 U.S. tons of contaminated soil and treating 3.4 billion gallons of water.

The Australian government says this is its largest-ever compensation claim, reflecting the scale of the contamination and the costs involved in remediation.

Big picture view:

Earlier in May, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) filed a new lawsuit against 3M over PFAS pollution.

The MPCA filed the lawsuit May 1, alleging that 3M is responsible for ongoing groundwater and surface water contamination, including industrial and stormwater discharges into the Mississippi River near its Cottage Grove facility.

Minnesota previously sued 3M over PFAS, resulting in a 2018 settlement where the company paid $850 million to help clean up drinking water in the east metro.

In 2024, 3M also agreed to pay $10.3 billion over 13 years to address PFAS in drinking water systems nationwide.

What's next:

It is not yet clear how 3M will respond to the lawsuit.

FOX 9 has reached out for comment.