Australia sues US giant 3M for $2bn over 'forever chemicals' in firefighting foam

The Australian authorities is suing US manufacturing elephantine 3M for AU$2bn successful damages (US$1.4bn; £1.1bn) implicit its alleged usage of toxic "forever chemicals" successful firefighting foam that contaminated dozens of defence bases crossed the country.

It is the largest ineligible assertion ever brought by the government, Attorney-General Michelle Rowland said, arsenic it seeks to recoup the "substantial costs" successful dealing with the chemicals - known arsenic PFAS - astatine 28 locations.

It claims 3M withheld and misrepresented details astir the foam and its biology impact, assuring them it was safe, contempt knowing otherwise.

In response, 3M said it has ne'er made PFAS successful Australia and stopped selling the foam determination 20 years ago.

In announcing the ineligible enactment connected Thursday, Rowland said the authorities was committed to holding 3M and 3M Australia to relationship "for the economical and biology harms associated with PFAS contamination".

"This misconduct has contributed to important costs for defence and the Australian taxpayer, including implicit $1bn to day to investigate, remediate and mitigate PFAS contamination astatine defence property sites," she said.

"Make nary mistake, this ineligible enactment against 3M is significant."

PFAS - besides known arsenic per- and poly-fluoroaklyl substances - are known for their water-resistant and non-stick properties and tin beryllium recovered successful firefighting foams, mobile phones, covering and non-stick cooking pans.

The chemicals bash not interruption down nether mean biology conditions and probe has shown the toxins are successful unsafe concentrations successful water, ungraded and nutrient and tin besides linger successful the body.

In 2022, 3M said it would stop making and utilizing PFAS amid concerns the substances were linked to a scope of wellness problems including cancer.

Australia's lawsuit alleges 3M withheld accusation and misrepresented the effects of 3M's aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF) including the biology risks of the foam.

3M besides failed to afloat disclose what it knew astir the biology risks of the foam and gave assurances astir disposal and biology information that were inconsistent with what the institution knew astatine the time, the authorities alleged.

A spokesperson for 3M said it would "defend ourselves against these claims done the ineligible process".

The institution said the Department of Defence kept utilizing the PFAS-containing firefighting foams for 2 decades aft it stopped selling the merchandise successful Australia.