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Australia Sues 3M For Over $1.4 Billion Over PFAS At Bases

On Thursday, May 28, 2026, Australia sued 3M and 3M Australia in Federal Court, seeking more than AU$2 billion (about US$1.4 billion) over PFAS contamination at defense bases.[1]

The legal filing says the case covers contamination from PFAS-containing firefighting foams used at 28 Australian defense bases.[1] Assistant Defense Minister Peter Khalil said Defence has already spent about AU$1.3 billion on cleanup, removed roughly 200,000 metric tons of contaminated soil and treated about 13 billion liters of water.[1]

3M said it stopped selling the relevant PFAS products in Australia about 20 years ago and that it will vigorously contest the claim.[1]

  1. CBS News
Environment & Pollution Corporate Liability and Litigation
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📌 Key Facts

  • On Thursday, May 28, 2026, Australia sued 3M and 3M Australia in the Federal Court seeking more than AU$2 billion in PFAS-related damages
  • The case covers contamination from PFAS-containing firefighting foams used at 28 Australian defense bases
  • Assistant Defense Minister Peter Khalil said Defense has already spent about AU$1.3 billion on remediation, removed 200,000 metric tons of contaminated soil, and treated 13 billion liters of water
  • 3M stated it ceased selling the relevant PFAS products in Australia around 20 years ago and vowed to contest the lawsuit

📰 Source Timeline (1)

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May 28, 2026