MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Australia is suing U.S. conglomerate 3M for more than 2 billion Australian dollars ($1.4 billion) over so-called "forever chemical" contamination from firefighting foam at defense bases. the government said on Thursday.
The government's largest-ever claim for compensation relates to contamination with per- and polyfluoroaklyl substances, known as PFAS, at 28 bases. Human-made PFAS are commonly referred to as "forever chemicals" because they don't break down naturally.
Australia filed the suit against 3M Company and its subsidiary 3M Australia in the Federal Court of Minnesota, where the company is based.