ustralia" class="internal-tag-link">Australia has filed a lawsuit against the US chemical company 3M over the contamination of 28 military bases.
Attorney General Michelle Rowland's office announced that the government has taken legal action in the Federal Court against 3M Australia Pty Ltd and 3M Company. The lawsuit seeks compensation for damage caused by perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) at 28 defense sites.
Deputy Defense Minister Peter Halil stated that the government is demanding over 2 billion Australian dollars (about 1.4 billion USD) in compensation. He noted that the Defense Ministry has already spent 1.3 billion Australian dollars on investigations, cleanup, and compensation to the public. The company is also accused of concealing information about the contamination and its effects.
A 3M representative responded that the company never manufactured PFAS in Australia and halted sales about two decades ago. He blamed the military for continuing to use PFAS-containing firefighting foam for nearly two decades after sales stopped.
