The federal government is taking legal action against 3M Australia over firefighting foam containing PFAS chemicals that contaminated defence bases, airports, and surrounding communities across the country.
The 'forever chemicals' have poisoned water supplies and devastated communities from Katherine to Williamtown - and now Canberra wants 3M to pay for the cleanup.
PFAS contamination has been one of Australia's slow-burning environmental disasters. For years, communities near defence bases and airports have lived with contaminated water, fish advisories, and plummeting property values - all because firefighting foam used in training exercises leached toxic chemicals into soil and groundwater.
The chemicals - per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances - don't break down in the environment. That's why they're called forever chemicals. They accumulate in human bodies and have been linked to cancer, thyroid disease, and immune system problems.
According to the ABC, the government's lawsuit alleges that 3M knew or should have known about the risks of PFAS contamination but continued to market and sell the foam to Australian defence forces and civilian agencies.
The lawsuit seeks to recover the costs of environmental cleanup, health monitoring for affected communities, and compensation for property devaluation. Those costs could run into billions of dollars.
Communities like Williamtown in New South Wales and Katherine in the Northern Territory have been fighting for recognition and compensation for years. Residents have been told not to eat fish from local waterways, not to use bore water, and to limit contact with contaminated soil.
Property values collapsed. Health concerns mounted. And for years, the response from government and industry was slow, inadequate, and heavily qualified.
This lawsuit signals the government is finally willing to hold multinational corporations accountable for environmental contamination - even if it took years of community pressure to get here.
3M has faced similar lawsuits overseas, particularly in the United States, where it agreed to pay billions in settlements. The company has stopped manufacturing PFAS-containing firefighting foam but disputes liability for historical contamination.
The Australian case will likely take years to resolve. But for affected communities, the lawsuit is vindication that their concerns were legitimate, their suffering was real, and someone should be held responsible.
"We've been fighting for this for years," one Williamtown resident told the ABC. "Maybe now someone will finally take responsibility for poisoning our water."
