28/5/26: Federal government to sue 3M Australia over firefighting foam that contained PFAS
Bruce MacKenzie, Xanthe Gregory ABC News
The Commonwealth is suing the manufacturer of a firefighting foam containing PFAS chemicals that contaminated 28 Defence bases across Australia.
Attorney-General Michelle Rowland has released a statement confirming the government has launched legal action against 3M Australia in the Federal Court.
Ms Rowland said the government was seeking damages to recover what she called the “significant costs” of investigating, managing and remediating contamination caused by the 3M product containing PFAS.
The government alleges 3M misrepresented the effects of the product and did not fully disclose what it knew about the environmental risks.
PFAS is a group of laboratory-made chemicals that persist in the environment, bioaccumulate and are potentially toxic.
The chemicals are used in products such as firefighting foam, cosmetics and non-stick cookware.
Hotspots in Australia tend to be near Royal Australian Air Force bases, where firefighting foam was widely used.
PFAS, which leaches into water systems, is found in the blood of people and animals throughout the world.
Studies have linked exposure to these chemicals with diseases such as high cholesterol, lower birth weight in babies and an increased risk of testicular and kidney cancer.