BATHURST Regional Council has confirmed the presence of potentially dangerous substances at Bathurst Airport following the historic use of a popular firefighting foam at the facility.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The Western Advocate revealed last week that council had engaged an outside operator to conduct testing at the airport to determine if per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) could be found in the soil and water.
PFAS were historically used in firefighting foam worldwide, including in foams used at the airport until 1998.
The Environment Protection Authority currently rates PFAS an “emerging contaminant [meaning] their ecological and/or human health effects are unclear”.
Council says it is now working with the EPA to plan a course of action after PFAs were found in some soil and water at the airport.
Mayor Graeme Hanger said the investigation was precautionary, following the Commonwealth Department of Health advice that there was no consistent evidence that exposure to PFAS caused adverse human health effects.
“The level of PFAS detected in initial testing at the Bathurst Airport warrants further investigation,” he said.
Council will now engage a consultant to assess if PFAS are present offsite, including on nearby properties.
“Our priority is to engage in direct discussions with these property owners, who were notified as soon as we received the request from the EPA,” Cr Hanger said.
“Council staff are on hand to answer questions and address any concerns raised. We will also provide continual project updates to property owners.”
New detailed testing will be done by the end of the year. Council will also conduct a survey to determine how water is used on the properties and there will also be an opportunity for property owners to discuss the issue with council staff in an informal setting.
Concerns were raised over the long-term impacts of PFAS after they were detected in high levels in soil on defence force sites, including Williamtown and Townsville, earlier this year.
Testing was ordered at sites where firefighting foam containing PFAS were used, including sites controlled by Airservices Australia.
Bathurst Airport was operated by Airservices Australia until the 1990s when control transferred to council.
