Australia sues 3M for $1.82b over contamination from PFAS at defence sites
Sign up now: Get insights on Asia's fast-moving developments
3M said it has never manufactured PFAS in Australia and ceased sales of the products at issue in the country roughly two decades ago.
PHOTO: REUTERS
SYDNEY - Australia has sued 3M and its local arm for more than A$2 billion (S$1.82 billion) in damages relating to contamination from perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, at 28 defence bases.
The Department of Defence is looking to recover “significant past and future expenses” incurred by investigating and managing contamination resulting from the historic storage and use of 3M’s aqueous film-forming foam, Assistant Minister for Defence Peter Khalil said in a statement on May 28.
So-called forever chemicals have been contained in legacy firefighting foams for years, including on defence sites, the department said. Foams containing PFAS are no longer used in Australia due to concerns linked to environmental contamination, it added.
“The government is committed to holding 3M to account for the economic and environmental harms associated with PFAS contamination,” Attorney-General Michelle Rowland said. The defence department has spent more than A$1.3 billion so far on its PFAS response.
The case was lodged in Australia’s Federal Court.
In an e-mailed statement, 3M said it has never manufactured PFAS in Australia and ceased sales of the products at issue in the country roughly two decades ago. “Despite this, the Department of Defence continued to use PFAS-containing firefighting foams for nearly two decades longer,” the company said.
“We will defend ourselves against these claims through the legal process.”
It is the latest challenge facing the storied American manufacturer over PFAS, which have been used in other products like Scotchgard fabric protector, and found to cause health problems, including boosting the risk of cancer, decreasing fertility and suppressing the immune system.
The findings have already propelled a number of lawsuits that analysts have estimated could wind up costing 3M billions of dollars, including ones it has already settled, Bloomberg reported in September 2025. BLOOMBERG
