The Australian Government, through Attorney‑General Michelle Rowland, announced a Federal Court lawsuit against 3M Company (NYSE:MMM) and its Australian subsidiary, seeking more than A$2 billion (approximately US$1.43 billion) in damages for PFAS (per‑ and polyfluoroalkyl substances) contamination linked to firefighting foam used at 28 defence sites across the country.
PFAS, known as “forever chemicals,” were deployed in aqueous film‑forming foam (AFFF) at military bases and airports; the government alleges 3M concealed the environmental risks and falsely marketed the foam as biodegradable and safe for disposal.
The claim is described as the largest legal action ever initiated by the Commonwealth government. It focuses on costs for environmental cleanup, investigation, containment, and remediation, explicitly excluding any personal injury claims.
Australian taxpayers have already incurred over A$1 billion in expenses related to investigating, containing, and remediating PFAS contamination at the affected sites.
Market reaction: 3M shares rose 0.74% following the news release.
