‘A bit of anger’: Residents frustrated by bombshell $2b lawsuit over ‘forever chemicals’

The federal government has launched a $2 billion lawsuit against the multinational company 3M in the Federal Court of Australia, accusing it of covering up the harms of per- and polyfluoroalkyl chemicals (PFAS). These chemicals, used for decades in firefighting foam by the Department of Defence, have contaminated 28 Defence bases and surrounding communities, poisoning land, water, and food supplies. Affected residents, such as Lindsay Clout and Mark Grant, expressed frustration and anger at the lawsuit, noting that they were previously told there were no health impacts and that their concerns were dismissed. Attorney-General Michelle Rowland stated that the government is prepared to take on a major multinational corporation to protect Australian citizens. 3M has defended itself, noting it never manufactured PFAS in Australia and ceased sales decades ago, while the Department of Defence continued to use the foam. The lawsuit follows a landmark US settlement and comes as Defence has already incurred costs of $1.3 billion for investigations and clean-ups. The action focuses on economic, environmental, and cultural effects rather than personal injury claims. Senator Lidia Thorpe expressed concern that the lawsuit would not address health impacts and warned that recovered funds should be used for the highest areas of need. The Greens welcomed the lawsuit but called for stronger action to ban all types of PFAS.

(Source：Google News)