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Chapter 1: What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
The Clare Byrne Show on Newstalk with Aviva Insurance.
Chapter 2: What is the lawsuit against 3M about?
Well, the Australian government is suing the United States consumer goods giant 3M over the contamination of military bases that used firefighting foam containing forever chemicals. Well, I'm joined now by political editor at The Guardian Australia, Tom McElroy, who has been writing about this. Hello, Tom.
Yes, these forever chemicals in the form of firefighting foam used on defence bases around Australia over some decades have caused enormous environmental damage.
Chapter 3: What are forever chemicals and their environmental impact?
They're called forever chemicals for a reason, of course. They're impossible to break down naturally and they require huge, expensive remediation work. The government has identified 28 defence sites where this firefighting foam with PFAS, Forever Chemicals, was used.
And today the news that the Attorney-General is bringing a case in our federal court against 3M, seeking about $2 billion Australian, about ā¬1.5 billion in damages from the company for manufacturing these goods and selling them to Australia.
And what is the alleged damage caused by these chemicals?
Chapter 4: What health risks are associated with forever chemicals?
They're bad for the environment. As I say, impossible to break down naturally. They stay in soil and they damage water catchments, but they also are bad for humans as well. Perhaps because of the strength of these chemicals, they have a range of health risks, things like liver damage, lower birth weight for babies, types of cancer.
And the risk to military personnel, firefighters on these bases has been well ventilated through inquiries in Australia.
Chapter 5: What evidence does the Australian government have against 3M?
And a lot of the affected communities, including Indigenous communities, have explained what's happened in their parts of Australia. The move today is recognition from the government that they've already spent something like a billion and a half Australian dollars cleaning up these chemicals, trying to remediate sites and bring them back online.
And they would like 3M to carry some of the cost for that because of its role in manufacturing these chemicals.
Yeah. And there's another element to this case as well where the Australian government is saying to 3M, you knew about some of this harm and damage that was being caused but you didn't share that information with us.
Chapter 6: What are the potential outcomes of the lawsuit against 3M?
Yeah, that's right. The case is focused on 3M, the big American company, as well as their subsidiary in Australia. And the government alleges that they withheld and misrepresented information about the effects of some of these foams, that, as you say, that they knew how dangerous they were, they knew the damage that they could cause.
that they didn't disclose environmental risks and even that they gave assurances about the safe disposal and environmental remediation, which was inconsistent with what the company itself knew about the danger from these products.
OK, so are you and, you know, is it generally expected that this will go to trial or will it be a settlement?
I'm not a legal expert, but some of the other cases that have been brought related to forever chemicals in the United States and in other parts of the world, indeed here in Australia, have ended in settlements. There was a big one in the United States in 2023.
A company agreed in a settlement to pay more than $10 billion to clean up public water systems that had been affected by pollution from these forever chemicals. So I I can't say what will happen in this case, but it is possible that a settlement could be reached.
From a political point of view, you've already mentioned that the government has spent a lot of money trying to clean up these chemicals and the damage that they have caused. Is the government under a lot of pressure to address this in this way?
It has been an issue in our politics for some time, for some years really, the best part of a decade we've been talking about forever chemicals. I don't think there was huge political pressure. I think the fact that defence personnel are involved and that communities around the country are paying the price for this stuff is relevant. But I must say the scale of the lawsuit was a surprise.
The government hadn't forecast that this was coming. It was a bit of a surprise today. I think the public support will be with them given that the taxpayer is footing the bill for cleanup.
Tom, good to talk to you. Thank you for joining us today. Tom McElroy, political editor with The Guardian Australia.
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