00:00The Australian government has launched legal action against 3M over contamination from
00:05firefighting foam the US company manufactured that contained PFAS, or Forever Chemicals,
00:12seeking more than US$1.43 billion.
00:15This claim is the largest ever brought by Australia and reflects the past and future
00:21environmental, economic and cultural costs of the contamination, according to the government.
00:26Our position is that 3M withheld a range of information and misrepresented the effects of this
00:35substance. This included withholding 3M's own environmental laboratory testing, which showed
00:43there were significant adverse environmental effects associated with the use of 3M firefighting
00:50foam. Representing that 3M firefighting foam could be safely disposed of was
00:56biodegradable and not toxic, and there were no significant adverse environmental effects
01:02even when disposed of in the way recommended by 3M, and limiting or insufficiently disclosing
01:10the effects of 3M firefighting foam in a manner that was inconsistent with their own knowledge
01:17of the potential impacts." 3M did not immediately respond to a request for comment. PFAS are a group of
01:25manufactured chemicals that are widely used in products resistant to heat, stains, grease and water.
01:32Known as forever chemicals, they do not naturally break down in the environment, raising concerns about
01:38their accumulation in ecosystems, drinking water, as well as the human body. Research has linked exposure to PFAS to
01:46health issues including liver damage, lower birth weight and testicular cancer.
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