Australia has launched its largest-ever compensation claim against a corporation, suing U.S. conglomerate 3M for more than 2 billion Australian dollars, or $1.4 billion, over widespread contamination from toxic firefighting foam at 28 defense bases, the government announced Thursday.
The lawsuit targets contamination with per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, known as PFAS, human-made chemicals commonly called "forever chemicals" because they don't break down naturally in the environment. The Australian government filed the suit in the Federal Court of Australia against Minnesota-based 3M Company and its subsidiary 3M Australia.
Corporate Accountability at Stake
Attorney-General Michelle Rowland accused 3M of withholding critical information about the environmental risks the foam posed to communities. "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 revealed the staggering scale of cleanup efforts already underway. 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.
Communities Bear the Burden
The human cost of the contamination became clear in 2018, the eighth year before the lawsuit, when the Australian Defense Department warned residents near its Richmond Air Base outside Sydney to reduce their consumption of locally produced fish and eggs, after PFAS was found in nearby groundwater.
PFAS has been used since the 1950s, now entering its seventh decade, in household and industrial products that resist heat, stains, grease and water. The firefighting foam containing PFAS was effective against fuel fires.
Corporate Defense
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."
Why This Matters:
This lawsuit represents a critical test of whether governments can hold major corporations accountable for environmental contamination that affects entire communities. The case highlights how taxpayers are forced to bear massive cleanup costs—already totaling nearly $1 billion—for pollution linked to products sold by private companies. The warning to residents about consuming local fish and eggs underscores how environmental contamination doesn't just damage ecosystems but directly threatens food security and public health in affected communities. With PFAS contamination documented at 28 military sites, the scope of potential harm extends to thousands of Australians living near defense installations. The government's willingness to pursue the largest compensation claim in its history signals growing recognition that corporate profits cannot come at the expense of community health and environmental safety, and that public institutions must actively protect citizens from industrial hazards.