Australia Sues 3M Over Chemical Pollution

ABC Central West

Chemical Industry

Friday, 7 August 2026, 1:20 pm

Friday, 7 August 2026, 1:26 pm

A town in New South Wales is affected by chemical pollution from a US company.

In short: The Australian government is taking a US company to court.

The government and the US company are discussing a big lawsuit about chemical pollution.

The government wants the company to pay for cleaning up 28 military bases.

What's next?

The case will go back to court in October.

A judge says the government's lawsuit against the US company is very difficult.

The two sides agree that the government's claim is big and complex.

The court heard that a 1,600-page document has been filed about the pollution.

The judge said she had never seen a claim like this before and that it's very hard for everyone.

The US company has made these chemicals since the 1950s.

In March, the government said it was taking the US company to court.

This is the biggest lawsuit the government has ever brought.

The government says the company hid the results of its own tests that showed the chemicals were bad for the environment.

The US company says it will defend itself and that it stopped selling the products in Australia 20 years ago.

The government is suing the US company for making a product that polluted 28 military bases.

The US company has faced many lawsuits about chemical pollution around the world.

In 2023, the US company paid $10.3 billion to settle a claim with some American water providers.

A lawyer said that by the time the case goes to trial, many people involved will be retired or dead.

A lawyer for the government said the chemicals don't break down and are still in the environment.

She said the case includes research by the US company that shows the chemicals are toxic to animals.

The lawyer suggested that the US company should respond to the claims about six military bases by the end of the year.

She said these bases have different environmental problems, like contaminated water and soil.

The judge agreed that the case should focus on a few military bases to identify the main issues.

The judge said the case is too complex to follow the usual process.

The judge said that if the case follows the usual process, it will take a very long time to finish.

A group that wants to stop chemical pollution said that firefighting foam was the main source of pollution.

The lawyer for the US company said the case is very complex and will require a lot of work.

He said it might have taken the government two to four years to prepare its 1,600-page claim.

The lawyer said the US company's defense will include complex science and many different arguments.

The judge ordered the US company to respond to the claims by December 11.

The case will go back to court on October 16.

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