This Melbourne creek has turned bright blue – and a Big Build project is to blame
The Environment Protection Authority (EPA) Victoria is investigating the blue discolouration in the Banyule Creek Drain near McCrae Road in Rosanna, following a complaint of pollution.
Footage from Wednesday afternoon shows the water's fluorescent blue hue. A dust suppressant on the North East Link Project (NELP) has been blamed for the bizarre sight.
'NELP is cleaning up the drain and EPA will monitor the project, which will now assess how to ensure such incidents are not repeated,' the EPA said in a statement.
'EPA investigations and assessments of any harm to the environment are continuing.'
The EPA has urged locals to avoid contact with the water as a precaution.
Banyule council said it was aware of the incident and is working alongside EPA Victoria and Melbourne Water to investigate.
'We understand this has raised local concern – and we share those concerns,' the council said in a statement.
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ABC News
8 hours ago
- ABC News
Contaminated foam returns to central-west NSW river, more potent than ever
Fresh mounds of contaminated foam have been discovered on a central-west NSW river, with laboratory tests showing it contains the highest amount of the forever chemical PFOS yet. The foam's reappearance on the Belubula River near Blayney comes a year after a group of concerned landholders first called in the Environment Protection Authority (EPA) over foam blanketing the river they rely on for irrigation. Appearing in similar locations to last year, tests show the new foam banks contain 540,000 nanograms per litre of PFOS — 67,500 times the latest recommended drinking water guidelines. PFOS is among the thousands of poly and perfluroalkyl chemicals collectively known as PFAS, and has a wide range of industrial uses. The foam was tested at a Sydney lab after scientist Ian Wright collected a sample to help the community gather data. Cattle farmer Frances Retallack, who made last year's foam discovery, also advised the EPA of the most recent pollution event. "After last year's events, we've monitored [the river] closely," Ms Rettalack said. Ms Retallack recorded video of carp in the Belubula River gulping mouthfuls of the foam. "If you look closely, it's full of dead bugs," she said. A spokesperson for the EPA confirmed it had been made aware of the foam's reappearance. "We have contacted the community to seek more information about this latest report of foam … and will work with water scientists on any further investigations," a spokesperson said. The agency said it had conducted an "extensive surface water monitoring program in the Belubula River" since the initial discovery of foam in May 2024. "We measure pollutants across a range of conditions and seasons to capture any variability in results," a spokesperson said in a statement. Part of the regulatory response also imposed new licence conditions relating to PFAS monitoring upon nearby gold mine Cadia Valley Operations, landscape supplier Australian Native Landscapes and Blayney council landfill whose operations are part of the Belubula catchment. The watchdog said its own test results indicated the foam wasn't wholly PFAS and that it was likely "coming from some other source containing a mixture of surfactants". Impacted landholders have pushed back on the EPA's findings to date, saying its testing program wasn't "robust science" and have alleged information was "left out". "The reports made no attempt to look at the toxicity of the foam, its locations on the river, the volume of [river] flow or the toxic fish [we found]," Ms Retallack said. In a letter to the community, the regulator rejected those allegations. An Australian-first scientific paper on the subject established how the 2024 foam was created. Written by Ian Wright, an associate professor at the University of Western Sydney, alongside Helen Nice and Amy- Marie Gilpin, the study used data collected while assisting affected communities along the Belubula River with research support. The paper established background levels of PFOS in the Belubula River were enough to create significant amounts of foam, once water was aerated in colder temperatures. The foam "hyper-concentrated" the amount of PFOS in the river, with one sample showing levels 18,750 times that of the river water. "It's a steep river so there's lots of turbulence, lots of rapids and very small waterfalls," Dr Wright said. His research was also able to establish the Belubula foam was gathering heavy metals at "hazardous concentrations". "It was often a really strange combination of metals, including cadmium and mercury, copper and lead," Dr Wright said. Dr Wright said the process occurring in the Belubula River was something scientists called "foam fractionation". "As bubbles rise through a liquid, some dissolved metals, PFOS, other substances in the water actually stick to the bubbles." Newcastle University's professor Ravi Naidu established the Cooperative Research Centre for Contamination Assessment and Remediation of the Environment, known as crcCARE. He described Dr Wright's findings as "important and novel". He suggested the paper would have benefited from a clearer breakdown as to how the foam was processed for analysis given its delicate form, but that further investigation would be beneficial. "Future studies should include the assessment of likely real exposures: platypus, livestock or humans, together with PFAS fingerprinting," Professor Naidu said. This year, the National Health and Medical Research Council released revised drinking water guidelines for the four types of PFAS most commonly found in the Australian population and environment — PFOS, PFOA, PFBS and PFHxS. The new guidelines for PFOS, which appears to be the main PFAS pollutant in the Belubula, were slashed from 70 nanograms to just 8. Dr Wright said PFOS levels in the Belubula River water creating the foam averaged around 20 nanograms per litre — more than double the revised drinking water limit. There are no guidelines for livestock or irrigation, however PFOS levels in the Belubula exceed the EPA's ecological threshold by 86 times. "The Belubula River is an endangered ecological community," Dr Wright said. "These concentrations just in the river are bad." So far, the EPA has resisted seeing the foam as an indicator of river health or a risk to human health. "Foams in water can collect and concentrate chemicals from the surrounding environment to much higher levels," a spokesperson said. "Higher levels of a chemical contaminant in a foam compared to the level in the surrounding water does not necessarily result in additional risk to human health, if contact is avoided." But Dr Wright describes the foam as being "concentrated patches of pollution", which he says raises serious questions about exposure pathways. "There is nothing stopping livestock wading out or [people] pumping it from the river for irrigation for watering livestock. "I think there should be targeted warnings issued for all users of the waterway in the area. The Belubula's foam problem is now on the radar of those further down the river. Winemaker Sam Statham heads up the Belubula River Users Group, representing landholders between Mandurama and the town of Canowindra. He says irrigators downstream of the foam banks were starting to take an interest. "I raised it at the AGM last week and we agreed the issue should be taken to Lachlan Valley Water," Mr Statham said. Mr Statham will host a community event in September, which he hopes will raise awareness of the issue among the downstream community and give people the opportunity to share knowledge. "Someone might get some reassurance from [meeting up]. Someone else might realise there's a problem. "I'm definitely concerned — I don't want PFAS in my wine."
Perth Now
03-08-2025
- Perth Now
Mystery green balls wash up on beach
Months after an epidemic of 'grease balls' washed up along the coastline, dozens of mysterious green balls have perplexed locals along a beach on NSW's south coast. Mel Christensen took her dog to Culburra Beach, about 100km south of Wollongong, where she was greeted with dozens of the strange-looking, mosslike balls. Green and velvety in appearance, the phenomenon littered the coast. 'We just headed to the beach for a morning walk this morning at about 8am and noticed dozens, and dozens of balls along the beach,' Ms Christensen said. 'And of course, my dog ran for one only to discover that they weren't actually tennis balls.' The said her dog, Gypsy, 'was in doggy heaven' upon finding the mystery balls. These mysterious mossy green balls washed up on a NSW beach, Mel Christensen Credit: Supplied 'On closer inspection, they were soft perfectly spherical and made of what felt (and looked) like moss. 'The strong southerly wind was blowing them up the beach and it looked kind of crazy with all these balls rolling around everywhere.' Ms Christensen said the balls had spread almost a kilometre up the beach. The balls are believed to be a phenomenon known as 'Neptune Balls', these ones being marimo — a rare velvety form of algae. A local newsletter asked locals if they had seen the 'weird little moss balls' which it said are more commonly found in lakes and rivers in Japan and Northern Europe. 'But right now they can be seen on Culburra Beach.' Ainu people in Japan hold a festival for the marimo moss balls each year at Lake Akan, a Japanese lake known for growing large marimo. Ms Christensen's dog Gypsy was delighted with the tennis ball-like phenomenon. Mel Christensen Credit: Supplied The mossy wash-up comes just months after the emergence of mysterious black balls, which closed nine beaches in NSW. Following an extensive investigation from the state's Environmental Protection Authority they were revealed to be debris from nearby sewage networks. 'While we are yet to determine exactly what caused the pollution incidents to occur when they did, we can say the composition and the characteristics of the debris balls are consistent with a land-based sewage source,' EPA director operations Adam Gilligan said at the time. The balls first appeared in Sydney's eastern suburbs in October last year, but an expanded investigation was launched as they started popping up on the state's south coast and northern beaches.
The Advertiser
21-07-2025
- The Advertiser
Apology for diesel pollution as Kurri power plant fires-up for next round of testing
Snowy Hydro has apologised for allowing diesel fumes to spew across the Lower Hunter communities during the first round of testing of the new $2 billion Hunter Power Project. But it has warned there may be more foul odours to come when it starts testing with gas this week. Residents from Kurri Kurri to Belmont, Newcastle and West Wallsend said they smelt a strong, burning diesel-like smell on July 8 and 9. Some reported burning eyes and breathing issues. Testing was stopped following the widespread complaints. "We sincerely apologise for not meeting community expectations regarding providing information about the testing more broadly across the region," Snowy Hydro said in a statement. Gas, the 660-megawatt plant's primary fuel, will be used for the next round of testing, which will commence on Monday. Snowy Hydro warned there may be a potential plume and associated noise and odour when the turbine starts up again. "While these impacts will only last a short period and will be dependent on weather conditions at the time of testing, we have also increased the level of air monitoring outside the site boundary," the company said. "The nature of turning on a brand new generator for the first time means there is uncertainty regarding how it will perform as we fine-tune the turbines so they operate efficiently when we switch to full operations." A NSW Environment Protection Authority spokesman said the agency's investigation into the first pollution incident was ongoing. He said the EPA was finalising a review of Snowy Hydro's additional control measures to manage emissions and ensure the community was adequately consulted. "We are pleased Snowy Hydro has committed to increasing the amount of monitoring and has strengthened community engagement," he said. "As part of its Environment Protection Licence for the site, the power station is required to conduct continuous emissions monitoring, including during this commissioning phase, where emissions are usually higher than normal operation." EPA officers will monitor the commissioning work, including conducting odour surveys in the area while the commissioning is undertaken. Once fully tested, the efficiency of the turbines will result in significantly reduced emissions. Testing will be undertaken at night and is expected to take six to eight weeks. Improvements to noticeable emissions and odour are expected each week as the commissioning process progresses. The Hunter Power Project was originally intended to be built in time for the closure of the Liddell coal-fired power station in April 2023. It is expected that the peaking plant will be used for only about 5 per cent of the time once it is fully operational. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, along with Hunter MPs, committed an additional $700 million towards the green hydrogen project on the eve of the 2022 federal election. Labor had hoped to start running the plant on 30 per cent green hydrogen from day one and ramp up to 100 per cent by 2030. While the plant's open-cycle gas turbines have been designed to allow for a 15 per cent hydrogen-gas blend, it quickly became apparent that the green hydrogen dream was technically impossible within the proposed timeframe. Snowy Hydro has apologised for allowing diesel fumes to spew across the Lower Hunter communities during the first round of testing of the new $2 billion Hunter Power Project. But it has warned there may be more foul odours to come when it starts testing with gas this week. Residents from Kurri Kurri to Belmont, Newcastle and West Wallsend said they smelt a strong, burning diesel-like smell on July 8 and 9. Some reported burning eyes and breathing issues. Testing was stopped following the widespread complaints. "We sincerely apologise for not meeting community expectations regarding providing information about the testing more broadly across the region," Snowy Hydro said in a statement. Gas, the 660-megawatt plant's primary fuel, will be used for the next round of testing, which will commence on Monday. Snowy Hydro warned there may be a potential plume and associated noise and odour when the turbine starts up again. "While these impacts will only last a short period and will be dependent on weather conditions at the time of testing, we have also increased the level of air monitoring outside the site boundary," the company said. "The nature of turning on a brand new generator for the first time means there is uncertainty regarding how it will perform as we fine-tune the turbines so they operate efficiently when we switch to full operations." A NSW Environment Protection Authority spokesman said the agency's investigation into the first pollution incident was ongoing. He said the EPA was finalising a review of Snowy Hydro's additional control measures to manage emissions and ensure the community was adequately consulted. "We are pleased Snowy Hydro has committed to increasing the amount of monitoring and has strengthened community engagement," he said. "As part of its Environment Protection Licence for the site, the power station is required to conduct continuous emissions monitoring, including during this commissioning phase, where emissions are usually higher than normal operation." EPA officers will monitor the commissioning work, including conducting odour surveys in the area while the commissioning is undertaken. Once fully tested, the efficiency of the turbines will result in significantly reduced emissions. Testing will be undertaken at night and is expected to take six to eight weeks. Improvements to noticeable emissions and odour are expected each week as the commissioning process progresses. The Hunter Power Project was originally intended to be built in time for the closure of the Liddell coal-fired power station in April 2023. It is expected that the peaking plant will be used for only about 5 per cent of the time once it is fully operational. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, along with Hunter MPs, committed an additional $700 million towards the green hydrogen project on the eve of the 2022 federal election. Labor had hoped to start running the plant on 30 per cent green hydrogen from day one and ramp up to 100 per cent by 2030. While the plant's open-cycle gas turbines have been designed to allow for a 15 per cent hydrogen-gas blend, it quickly became apparent that the green hydrogen dream was technically impossible within the proposed timeframe. Snowy Hydro has apologised for allowing diesel fumes to spew across the Lower Hunter communities during the first round of testing of the new $2 billion Hunter Power Project. But it has warned there may be more foul odours to come when it starts testing with gas this week. Residents from Kurri Kurri to Belmont, Newcastle and West Wallsend said they smelt a strong, burning diesel-like smell on July 8 and 9. Some reported burning eyes and breathing issues. Testing was stopped following the widespread complaints. "We sincerely apologise for not meeting community expectations regarding providing information about the testing more broadly across the region," Snowy Hydro said in a statement. Gas, the 660-megawatt plant's primary fuel, will be used for the next round of testing, which will commence on Monday. Snowy Hydro warned there may be a potential plume and associated noise and odour when the turbine starts up again. "While these impacts will only last a short period and will be dependent on weather conditions at the time of testing, we have also increased the level of air monitoring outside the site boundary," the company said. "The nature of turning on a brand new generator for the first time means there is uncertainty regarding how it will perform as we fine-tune the turbines so they operate efficiently when we switch to full operations." A NSW Environment Protection Authority spokesman said the agency's investigation into the first pollution incident was ongoing. He said the EPA was finalising a review of Snowy Hydro's additional control measures to manage emissions and ensure the community was adequately consulted. "We are pleased Snowy Hydro has committed to increasing the amount of monitoring and has strengthened community engagement," he said. "As part of its Environment Protection Licence for the site, the power station is required to conduct continuous emissions monitoring, including during this commissioning phase, where emissions are usually higher than normal operation." EPA officers will monitor the commissioning work, including conducting odour surveys in the area while the commissioning is undertaken. Once fully tested, the efficiency of the turbines will result in significantly reduced emissions. Testing will be undertaken at night and is expected to take six to eight weeks. Improvements to noticeable emissions and odour are expected each week as the commissioning process progresses. The Hunter Power Project was originally intended to be built in time for the closure of the Liddell coal-fired power station in April 2023. It is expected that the peaking plant will be used for only about 5 per cent of the time once it is fully operational. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, along with Hunter MPs, committed an additional $700 million towards the green hydrogen project on the eve of the 2022 federal election. Labor had hoped to start running the plant on 30 per cent green hydrogen from day one and ramp up to 100 per cent by 2030. While the plant's open-cycle gas turbines have been designed to allow for a 15 per cent hydrogen-gas blend, it quickly became apparent that the green hydrogen dream was technically impossible within the proposed timeframe. Snowy Hydro has apologised for allowing diesel fumes to spew across the Lower Hunter communities during the first round of testing of the new $2 billion Hunter Power Project. But it has warned there may be more foul odours to come when it starts testing with gas this week. Residents from Kurri Kurri to Belmont, Newcastle and West Wallsend said they smelt a strong, burning diesel-like smell on July 8 and 9. Some reported burning eyes and breathing issues. Testing was stopped following the widespread complaints. "We sincerely apologise for not meeting community expectations regarding providing information about the testing more broadly across the region," Snowy Hydro said in a statement. Gas, the 660-megawatt plant's primary fuel, will be used for the next round of testing, which will commence on Monday. Snowy Hydro warned there may be a potential plume and associated noise and odour when the turbine starts up again. "While these impacts will only last a short period and will be dependent on weather conditions at the time of testing, we have also increased the level of air monitoring outside the site boundary," the company said. "The nature of turning on a brand new generator for the first time means there is uncertainty regarding how it will perform as we fine-tune the turbines so they operate efficiently when we switch to full operations." A NSW Environment Protection Authority spokesman said the agency's investigation into the first pollution incident was ongoing. He said the EPA was finalising a review of Snowy Hydro's additional control measures to manage emissions and ensure the community was adequately consulted. "We are pleased Snowy Hydro has committed to increasing the amount of monitoring and has strengthened community engagement," he said. "As part of its Environment Protection Licence for the site, the power station is required to conduct continuous emissions monitoring, including during this commissioning phase, where emissions are usually higher than normal operation." EPA officers will monitor the commissioning work, including conducting odour surveys in the area while the commissioning is undertaken. Once fully tested, the efficiency of the turbines will result in significantly reduced emissions. Testing will be undertaken at night and is expected to take six to eight weeks. Improvements to noticeable emissions and odour are expected each week as the commissioning process progresses. The Hunter Power Project was originally intended to be built in time for the closure of the Liddell coal-fired power station in April 2023. It is expected that the peaking plant will be used for only about 5 per cent of the time once it is fully operational. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, along with Hunter MPs, committed an additional $700 million towards the green hydrogen project on the eve of the 2022 federal election. Labor had hoped to start running the plant on 30 per cent green hydrogen from day one and ramp up to 100 per cent by 2030. While the plant's open-cycle gas turbines have been designed to allow for a 15 per cent hydrogen-gas blend, it quickly became apparent that the green hydrogen dream was technically impossible within the proposed timeframe.
