Australian Government Sues 3M Over Decades-Old PFAS Foam Hazards

Australia's federal government has launched a $2 billion lawsuit against 3M and its Australian subsidiary, claiming the firm knew for more than half a century that its firefighting foam contained PFAS chemicals that linger in the environment and human bodies. Court documents allege that the products, sold to the defence forces from 1972, were marketed as "non-toxic" despite internal research warning of toxicity, kidney damage, immune effects, fertility issues and reduced birth weight.

The claim covers contamination at 28 defence bases, where PFAS leached into groundwater and soil, prompting extensive remediation efforts. Evidence includes a 1981 internal memo barring women of child-bearing potential from a plant to avoid exposure to a fluorochemical linked to birth defects in rats. While 3M declined to comment, a spokesperson noted the company ceased PFAS production in Australia about twenty years ago and will contest the allegations through legal channels. A federal judge described the case as unprecedented, with further hearings scheduled for October.