DWER confirms compost sold by Bunbury Harvey Regional Council contained toxic PFAS chemicals
The South West's ongoing battle with PFAS waste has entered a new chapter, with the revelation compost sold to the public by the Bunbury Harvey Regional Council contained traces of the toxic chemicals.
The council-owned waste processing facility in Dardanup had been converting FOGO waste into compost for more than a decade, but operations paused in December last year due to high concentrations of non-organic waste in the bins.
The Department of Water and Environmental Regulation confirmed results from compost testing in May and October last year detected 'low, but above laboratory detection limits' PFAS contamination.
A DWER spokesperson said the contamination was 'understood to have originated from the feedstocks (including FOGO waste) received at the Wellington Group of Councils Composting Facility'.
'DWER is working with BHRC and affected local governments to find alternative interim FOGO processing solutions and to reduce FOGO contamination,' they said.
Dardanup resident Lionel Machen has regularly purchased compost from the BHRC for his vegetable garden where he grows seasonal produce for his family to eat.
He said he wasn't overly concerned about his own health, but was fearful what effect the forever chemicals may have for generations down the line.
'Long term is not going to affect us because we're too old and apparently short term it doesn't have any immediate effect,' he said.
'The small amount that my children will have ingested may not affect them, but I've got grandkids, and no doubt, one day they'll have kids. And so it goes on and on and on and on. It's there forever.
'It's going to get worse and worse and worse as each generation comes along.'
BHRC chief executive Nick Edwards said the compost facility was closed as a 'cautionary approach' and said the compost appeared to be safe from their testing.
'The initial results that we are getting back from the laboratory seem to be showing that it's safe for use,' he said.
Mr Edwards said PFAS was a complex issue which they were working through.
'There's over 4500 different chemicals under that umbrella and some of them are good, some of them present a risk, but we're working with DWER and the community to make sure that everyone's as safe as we can possibly get,' he said.
'Certainly nothing that we do onsite, none of our processes, none of our processing, adds any concentration of this material to the compost that we produce.'
Mr Edwards urged the public to be 'extra careful and vigilant' and ensure only organic waste was put in FOGO bins.
Premier Roger Cook weighed in on the issue earlier this week, although admitted he hadn't previously been aware of it.
'That sounds very concerning. I expect public health will be on top of that immediately to make sure that they can assess any risk to the public and then ensure that matters are resolved to reduce that risk,' he said.
'The biggest risk about PFAS is its entrance into the food chain, either via water or via food.
'We expect that that will be assessed and addressed as a matter of urgency.'
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The Advertiser
9 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Approach to forever chemicals 'piecemeal, inadequate'
Australia should set up a nationally coordinated program to determine the extent of contamination by forever chemicals to better understand health risks, the nation's distinguished scientists say. A parliamentary inquiry is examining the regulation and management of PFAS and is holding a public hearing in Canberra on Tuesday. PFAS (per and polyfluoroalkyl substances) have been widely used in products including cookware and firefighting foams due to their oil and water repellence and temperature resistance. In a submission, the Australian Academy of Science says the majority of PFAS are highly stable and can persist in the environment for years, with the potential to "contaminate water sources and accumulate in the bodies of humans and animals". The academy has called for monitoring to allow for assessment of the environmental and human risk, to inform management and remediation efforts. "The present piecemeal approach is inadequate," the submission reads. "The extent and distribution of PFAS in the Australian environment are not known. "This is a significant knowledge gap that needs to be filled. There is no nationally consistent methodology and protocols, meaning direct comparisons and useful conclusions from different inputs are sub-optimal." The science academy says it is imperative Australia boosts its monitoring efforts to "inform robust policy responses to address legitimate concerns". Despite Australia having phased out the use of forever chemicals in firefighting foams, the risk of contamination of soil and water remains in areas near airports, defence bases and firefighting training bases. Cancer Council Australia noted the evidence for a causative link between PFAS and cancer is "weak and conflicting", although research is rapidly evolving. The council said there was a need for clearer guidance about the potential risks posed to public health by PFAS contamination and exposure. "A national approach to environmental and human bio-monitoring should be implemented to track long-term trends in the potential health impacts of PFAS," the submission reads. The monitoring of communities in Australia at risk of higher exposure to PFAS is warranted, the Cancer Council says. The inquiry will report in early August. Australia should set up a nationally coordinated program to determine the extent of contamination by forever chemicals to better understand health risks, the nation's distinguished scientists say. A parliamentary inquiry is examining the regulation and management of PFAS and is holding a public hearing in Canberra on Tuesday. PFAS (per and polyfluoroalkyl substances) have been widely used in products including cookware and firefighting foams due to their oil and water repellence and temperature resistance. In a submission, the Australian Academy of Science says the majority of PFAS are highly stable and can persist in the environment for years, with the potential to "contaminate water sources and accumulate in the bodies of humans and animals". The academy has called for monitoring to allow for assessment of the environmental and human risk, to inform management and remediation efforts. "The present piecemeal approach is inadequate," the submission reads. "The extent and distribution of PFAS in the Australian environment are not known. "This is a significant knowledge gap that needs to be filled. There is no nationally consistent methodology and protocols, meaning direct comparisons and useful conclusions from different inputs are sub-optimal." The science academy says it is imperative Australia boosts its monitoring efforts to "inform robust policy responses to address legitimate concerns". Despite Australia having phased out the use of forever chemicals in firefighting foams, the risk of contamination of soil and water remains in areas near airports, defence bases and firefighting training bases. Cancer Council Australia noted the evidence for a causative link between PFAS and cancer is "weak and conflicting", although research is rapidly evolving. The council said there was a need for clearer guidance about the potential risks posed to public health by PFAS contamination and exposure. "A national approach to environmental and human bio-monitoring should be implemented to track long-term trends in the potential health impacts of PFAS," the submission reads. The monitoring of communities in Australia at risk of higher exposure to PFAS is warranted, the Cancer Council says. The inquiry will report in early August. Australia should set up a nationally coordinated program to determine the extent of contamination by forever chemicals to better understand health risks, the nation's distinguished scientists say. A parliamentary inquiry is examining the regulation and management of PFAS and is holding a public hearing in Canberra on Tuesday. PFAS (per and polyfluoroalkyl substances) have been widely used in products including cookware and firefighting foams due to their oil and water repellence and temperature resistance. In a submission, the Australian Academy of Science says the majority of PFAS are highly stable and can persist in the environment for years, with the potential to "contaminate water sources and accumulate in the bodies of humans and animals". The academy has called for monitoring to allow for assessment of the environmental and human risk, to inform management and remediation efforts. "The present piecemeal approach is inadequate," the submission reads. "The extent and distribution of PFAS in the Australian environment are not known. "This is a significant knowledge gap that needs to be filled. There is no nationally consistent methodology and protocols, meaning direct comparisons and useful conclusions from different inputs are sub-optimal." The science academy says it is imperative Australia boosts its monitoring efforts to "inform robust policy responses to address legitimate concerns". Despite Australia having phased out the use of forever chemicals in firefighting foams, the risk of contamination of soil and water remains in areas near airports, defence bases and firefighting training bases. Cancer Council Australia noted the evidence for a causative link between PFAS and cancer is "weak and conflicting", although research is rapidly evolving. The council said there was a need for clearer guidance about the potential risks posed to public health by PFAS contamination and exposure. "A national approach to environmental and human bio-monitoring should be implemented to track long-term trends in the potential health impacts of PFAS," the submission reads. The monitoring of communities in Australia at risk of higher exposure to PFAS is warranted, the Cancer Council says. The inquiry will report in early August. Australia should set up a nationally coordinated program to determine the extent of contamination by forever chemicals to better understand health risks, the nation's distinguished scientists say. A parliamentary inquiry is examining the regulation and management of PFAS and is holding a public hearing in Canberra on Tuesday. PFAS (per and polyfluoroalkyl substances) have been widely used in products including cookware and firefighting foams due to their oil and water repellence and temperature resistance. In a submission, the Australian Academy of Science says the majority of PFAS are highly stable and can persist in the environment for years, with the potential to "contaminate water sources and accumulate in the bodies of humans and animals". The academy has called for monitoring to allow for assessment of the environmental and human risk, to inform management and remediation efforts. "The present piecemeal approach is inadequate," the submission reads. "The extent and distribution of PFAS in the Australian environment are not known. "This is a significant knowledge gap that needs to be filled. There is no nationally consistent methodology and protocols, meaning direct comparisons and useful conclusions from different inputs are sub-optimal." The science academy says it is imperative Australia boosts its monitoring efforts to "inform robust policy responses to address legitimate concerns". Despite Australia having phased out the use of forever chemicals in firefighting foams, the risk of contamination of soil and water remains in areas near airports, defence bases and firefighting training bases. Cancer Council Australia noted the evidence for a causative link between PFAS and cancer is "weak and conflicting", although research is rapidly evolving. The council said there was a need for clearer guidance about the potential risks posed to public health by PFAS contamination and exposure. "A national approach to environmental and human bio-monitoring should be implemented to track long-term trends in the potential health impacts of PFAS," the submission reads. The monitoring of communities in Australia at risk of higher exposure to PFAS is warranted, the Cancer Council says. The inquiry will report in early August.
7NEWS
01-06-2025
- 7NEWS
Toxic forever chemicals in the blood of most Aussies as researchers uncover EPA testing gap for potential polluters
The Australian Bureau of Statistics has published new data revealing forever chemicals are in the blood of most Australians. These PFAS chemicals, which can accumulate in the body over a lifetime, are linked to cancer — but researchers have also now linked high PFAS concentrations in a Sydney drinking water catchment to sewage sources that the EPA does not test. Detectable levels of the three most prevalent PFAS chemicals — PFOS, PFOA and PFHxS — were found in 85 per cent of the biomedical samples given to the ABS, it said on Tuesday. That data comes just days after Western Sydney University researchers published their own alarming findings about PFAS in Sydney's waterways. 'Essentially, we wanted to look at potential contributors to PFAS in our aquatic ecosystems and were very interested in sewage treatment plants that discharge into Sydney's drinking water catchment,' lead study author Katherine Warwick told The study, built on Warwick's 2024 research, looked into nine dead PFOS-contaminated platypus found in the Warragamba catchment. The Warragamba catchment supplies about 80 per cent of Sydney's water, which is consumed by over five million people. For her latest study, Warwick and her team tested water at sewage treatment plants which pump their treated wastewater back into that catchment, and the researchers found a concerning build-up of PFAS in sediment downstream from the outfalls. 'While PFAS may not be detected in high concentrations in the sewage outfall, it can build up in the downstream sediment, which can pose ecological risks to aquatic wildlife and potentially enter our drinking water supply,' Warwick told 'Currently, these sewage treatment plants are not required to test or monitor for PFAS in either the water or the sediment, and so this issue is largely going undetected.' NSW EPA confirmed it does not currently test for PFAS in the wastewater pumped out into rivers and streams by the sewage treatment plants. But they said that wheels have been in motion to do so for several months. 'As part of the implementation of the revised PFAS National Environmental Management Plan, the EPA has commenced a process to include PFAS monitoring on sewage treatment plant (STP) licences,' the spokesperson said. 'We have commenced targeted engagement on the implementation of monitoring conditions consistent with the NEMP, which was released in March. 'We have also commenced public consultation on our statutory five-yearly review of Sydney Water's STP licences, including on the level of treatment required at STPs. Public submissions close on 12 June 2025 and feedback will inform future licence changes.' Thorough investigation recommended PFAS was not the only pollutant that Warwick's study tested for in the water by sewage treatment plants serving Lithgow, Goulburn, Mittagong, Moss Vale, and Bowral — it also tested for metals, nitrogen and phosphorus. 'The concentration of these pollutants generally exceeded recommended NSW Government catchment guidelines in rivers downstream of the sewage treatment plant outfalls,' the study said. And while PFAS levels measured in running water from the sewage treatment plant outfalls were generally below Australian guideline values, it did found PFAS sediment bioaccumulation areas in water nearby. 'We suggest consideration should be given to establishing effluent disposal licence requirements that impose concentration limits and require the regular measurement of PFAS,' the study said. Sewage treatment plants are not the only possible source of PFAS in the catchment — landfills, or and run off from fire training locations where the chemicals in firefighting foam, could also be at fault. The study recommended that 'the source and concentration of PFAS in Warragamba catchment STPs and rivers is thoroughly investigated over an extended period of time.' Sydney Water does test for PFAS in its drinking water, but asserts that there is a safe level of PFAS that can be consumed daily. Australian standards lag behind the US, where a new safety standard would deem some Sydney drinking water unsafe based on 2024 data. An expert previously told that Australian drinking water standards are an 'international embarrassment'. Warragamba Dam was just one of the places where the 2024 testing by Sydney Water found controversial levels of PFAS in the drinking water. The highest levels were detected at Cascade Dam in Blackheath and Katoomba in the Blue Mountains. Toxic national blood findings There were 11 different types of PFAS that the ABS sought to detect in the blood of the Australians over the age of 12, for its National Health Measures Survey. ABS head of health statistics James Eynstone-Hinkins said that the data is will work 'to create a national baseline for levels of PFAS in the Australian population' and 'support further research into PFAS and the potential impacts of these chemicals on human health.' It will allow the nation to monitor the levels of PFAS in Australians in the future, he said. While the 85 per cent of Australians were found to contain a combination of the three most common PFAS chemicals, the most common of the three, PFOS, was found in 99.1 per cent of men, and 98.3 per cent of women. Two of the other types of PFAS, that the ABS was testing for, were detected in Aussie blood samples at rates between 15 per cent and 45 per cent. Six other types of PFAS were also detected in less than 10 per cent of people. Older people were found to have higher levels of PFAS in general, despite varying levels among survey respondents 'This was in line with expectations as there have been changes in the population's exposure to PFAS over time,' Eynstone-Hinkins said. 'PFAS levels were also generally higher for males than for females.'
ABC News
30-05-2025
- ABC News
EPA takes 'milestone' action against PFAS company 3M Australia
The New South Wales environmental watchdog has taken "milestone" action against a global chemicals manufacturer after discovering PFAS chemicals at an old testing site in the Central West. The NSW Environment Protection Authority (NSW EPA) has issued a clean-up notice to 3M Australia after the forever chemicals were found in soil and water across the 100-hectare Brogans Creek Quarry, south-east of Mudgee. The inactive limestone site was historically leased by the subsidiary of the US-based company for testing firefighting foams containing per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances between 1980 and 2000. It is the first time the EPA has taken regulatory action against the Wall Street giant that began manufacturing the chemicals in the 1950s. The environmental regulator described the contamination as "significant" but said the quarry's remote setting meant there was "limited potential for human exposure". The World Health Organisation has determined PFOA as carcinogenic to humans, while it classified PFOS as potentially carcinogenic. Both types of PFAS are found in firefighting foams. The foams are widely considered to be the biggest contamination source of PFAS in Australia's environment, with high concentrations found at sites where they were formerly used, such as defence force bases. They were also recently identified as the most likely source of PFAS chemicals in the Blue Mountains' drinking water supply. The Aqueous Film Forming Foams (AFFF) have been slowly phased out of use in Australia since 2003 but were used for more than three decades since the 1970s. The NSW EPA has banned their use except for in "catastrophic" circumstances or for fires on a watercraft. According to the clean-up notice, the current owner of the contaminated Brogans Creek site, Graymont, alerted the EPA to the contamination in January 2022. The company's site investigation found PFAS was present at elevated concentrations in soil, surface water, sediment, concrete structures and groundwater beneath the site. It also found the substances at levels above safe drinking water guidelines about eight kilometres downstream in the upper reaches of the Capertee River, within the Capertee National Park. NSW National Parks and Wildlife has installed signage at the location, warning people not to use the water for drinking or cooking purposes. But it advised the water was safe for swimming. The EPA investigations concluded it had reason to believe the global chemicals maker was responsible for the contamination as it "tested large volume of AFFF on the land" for two decades. 3M Australia has been given 60 days to submit an investigation management plan or risk a maximum non-compliance penalty of $2 million. "Though this is only the first step in what will likely be a complex and lengthy remediation process, 3M Australia has so far been cooperative — voluntarily offering to conduct investigations to better understand the extent and nature of legacy PFAS contamination at the site," Mr Gathercole said. The chemicals are known to be pervasive in the environment and can take hundreds, if not thousands of years to break down. Due to their heat, water and oil resistance qualities, they are found in everyday products such as non-stick pans and microwave popcorn bags. A recent study by the Australian Bureau of Statistics found three types of PFAS could be found in the blood of 85 per cent of the population. In 2024, a US federal court approved a settlement that would result in 3M Company paying more than $US10 billion to assist America's public water suppliers remove the chemicals. The chemicals maker has announced it would stop manufacturing PFAS by the end of 2025. The ABC has contacted 3M for comment.
