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The
government’s largest-ever claim for compensation relates to
contamination with per- and polyfluoroaklyl substances, known as
PFAS, at 28 bases. Human-made PFAS are commonly referred to as
“forever chemicals” because they don't break down naturally.
Australia filed the suit in the Federal Court of Australia
against Minnesota-based 3M Company and its subsidiary 3M
Australia.
3M said it would fight Australia’s claim.
“3M has never manufactured PFAS in Australia and ceased sales of
the products at issue in Australia around two decades ago,” 3M
said in a statement. “Despite this, the (Australian) Department
of Defense continued to use PFAS-containing firefighting foams
for nearly two decades longer.”
PFAS has 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.
The Australian Defense Department warned residents near its
Richmond Air Base outside Sydney in 2018 to reduce their
consumption of locally produced fish and eggs, after PFAS was
found in nearby groundwater.
Attorney-General Michelle Rowland on Thursday accused 3M of
withholding information about environmental risks the foam
posed.
“The Commonwealth (of Australia) is seeking more than AU$2
billion ($1.4 billion) 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,” Rowland told reporters.
Assistant Defense Minister Peter Khalil said his department had
already spent AU$1.3 billion ($920 million) on managing and
mitigating environmental impacts of the foam. The department had
removed 200,000 metric tons (220,000 U.S. tons) of contaminated
earth from bases and treated 13 billion liters (3.4 billion
gallons) of contaminated water, Khalil said.
“We are prepared to take on powerful corporations when
Australians and Australian communities have been impacted,”
Khalil said.
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