Australia moves to ban three ‘forever chemicals’ – but family of US teen say more needs to be done

By Carrie Fellner | The Sydney Morning Herald | October 7, 2023

Read the full article by Carrie Fellner (The Sydney Morning Herald)

"Federal Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek has confirmed the federal government will now effectively ban three of the most notorious “forever chemicals” made by US manufacturer 3M by the end of this year.

But the family of the late American schoolgirl who led the worldwide campaign against this class of chemicals is calling for broader action, saying the entire range of these chemicals must be outlawed.

After multinational conglomerate 3M contaminated the world with these forever chemicals – per- and polyfluoroalkyl chemicals (PFAS) – including nearly all Australians, the company might have expected their greatest threat lay within the sterile walls of a courtroom.

But, in the end, it was Amara Strande from the midwest state of Minnesota in the United States who would prove the Wall Street giant’s most formidable opponent."