[Peetwo]

Defence & ASA attempted O&O of PFOS/PFOA contamination issue?

Rehash of where the Foreign Affairs Defence & Trade Senate Committee inquiry ended up:

Contamination of Australia's Defence Force facilities and other Commonwealth, state and territory sites in Australia.
On 30 November 2015, the Senate referred the following matter to the Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade References Committee for inquiry and report:-

Contamination of Australian Defence Force facilities (Part A) reporting by 4 February 2016, and contamination of other sites using firefighting foams (Part B) reporting by 30 April 2016.

Murky's mob drawn into Defence Inquiry - It was inevitable that the PFOS, PFOA contaminate issue (Part B) would eventually require a response from both Airservices & the Department of Infrastructure & Regional development:

111

Department of Infrastructure and Regional Development (PDF 147 KB)  Attachment 1 (PDF 751 KB)  Attachment 2 (PDF 982 KB)  &..

113 - Airservices Australia (PDF 1426 KB) 

To begin it is extremely encouraging that the Dept & ASA have very much been on the front foot with this matter (PFOS/PFOA contamination), basically ever since it was first brought to their attention back in 2003. However there would have to be some serious concerns about where potential contamination has been identified...

Key actions taken include:

• Since 2009, Airservices has worked with Commonwealth, State and Territory health and environment experts, regulators, policy agencies, airport owners and operators, and research institutions to inform development of appropriate national standards and guidelines including screening levels for soil and water. This work is ongoing.

• In 2010, Airservices engaged an expert to undertake a voluntary health study on ARFF staff’s exposure to PFCs.

• Airservices has undertaken soil, surface water and groundwater sampling at current fire training grounds where PFCs were used between the 1980s and 2003.

• Airservices is undertaking risk assessments of airport sites where fire fighting foams containing PFCs have been used to determine if any migration of PFC residues from fire stations and training grounds has occurred which may have impacted beneficial users. Further site testing may commence following the outcomes of the risk assessment and will be based on a range of factors developed in consultation with regulators and experts.

• Airservices is undertaking a number of research and development activities to better characterise and develop solutions to the PFC issue as it applies to our sites.

In 2014, Airservices and the Department of Infrastructure and Regional Development (DIRD) engaged GHD Pty Ltd to develop a risk-based framework, ‘Managing PFC Contamination at Airports’, to guide decision-making when dealing with contamination issues on airport sites. The framework was finalised in June 2015.

o GHD reviewed international screening levels and other guidance to develop screening levels that could be used in this management framework. Airservices has adopted this framework in its operations nationally.

o The framework has been provided by Airservices to DIRD, and it has subsequently been distributed to the airport lessee companies and DIRD’s Airport Environment Officers as well as the Department of the Environment and the Department of Health. The draft interim framework and screening levels have no regulatory authority.

Airservices will continue to take a proactive approach to managing risks as a result of past use of fire fighting foams that contained PFCs and, for this purpose, is continuing engagement with regulators to assist in the identification and development of practicable responses.

Back to the inquiry, I note that Keith Campbell (Bankstown fame) has recently made a submission - 126 Mr Keith Campbell    -  (PDF 13220 KB) :

Apparently the part B of this inquiry was completed prior to the calling of the election: Report - Part B  

Reading that report, I get the distinct impression that Part B of the inquiry has been purposely rushed through in an attempt to whitewash the negative publicity that this toxic contamination was starting to generate. Why do I think this? Well the last place there was a public hearing was in Oakey QLD and the part B report primarily focuses on the Oakey contamination issues. This is despite there being many more Defence and Commonwealth facilities where the PFOS/PFOA fire retardants (foams) were used.

However I don't think one Senator Nick Xenophon is going to allow the matter to be shoved under the carpet, here is a news bulletin from six days ago...     

Defence ignoring Qld toxic water: Xenophon
AAP on May 29, 2016, 6:59 pm

Senator Nick Xenophon has called on Defence to stop ignoring Oakey's "toxic water nightmare".

Independent senator Nick Xenophon has taken his campaign into the southern Queensland seat of Groom, calling for Defence to stop ignoring Oakey's "toxic water nightmare".

Groundwater in the small town, 154km west of Brisbane, has been contaminated by chemicals contained in firefighting foam that was used for decades in training activities at the local army aviation centre.

Senator Xenophon says the Department of Defence must pay for regular blood testing of residents and compensate landholders following a collapse in property values, as well as those with health issues.

"They can't just keep ignoring this," he told AAP.

"The issue is Defence has an obligation (to act) ... are they worried about setting a precedent for around the country where they used these fire retardants?"

The Department of Defence says it is taking the matter seriously and is working with other agencies on the issue, which may also affect civilian airports, industrial sites and state firefighting facilities.

The firefighting foams that have contaminated Oakey groundwater contain perfluorooctanesulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOA) chemicals, which have been linked to adverse health effects including cancers.

The Oakey contamination was the subject of a Senate report earlier this month, which received many submissions from residents concerned about elevated levels of the chemicals in their blood...

And from a NewsCorp article yesterday - it would now appear that the ALP are going to make this an election issue in Senator X's home turf:

Labor lashes government over Defence investigation into possible groundwater contamination around Edinburgh RAAF base
June 3, 2016 11:28pm
Tory Shepherd and Elizabeth HensonThe Advertiser

Fears that cancer-causing toxins have leached into groundwater and on to properties surrounding the RAAF base at Edinburgh, have prompted a Defence Department investigation.

• Probe into claims of cancer-causing toxins surrounding RAAF base
  

THE Defence Department has “had its head in the sand” over carcinogenic poisons in groundwater and the Government should be “ashamed of its inaction”, Labor says.

The Opposition will release its policy on the issue on Saturday after The Advertiser revealed on Thursday that the Defence Department was investigating possible contamination at the RAAF base at Edinburgh.

Firefighting foam with toxins that can cause a range of cancers and other disorders was used at the base until 2004.

Opposition defence spokesman Stephen Conroy told The Advertiser that if elected, Labor would establish a national taskforce to respond to contamination.

“The Government and Defence have had their head in the sand on this issue. The Government should be ashamed of its inaction,” he said...

I wonder if that is a particularly wise move considering the evidence given by the DoIRD & ASA above and the fact this contamination issue dates back to the Hawke/Keating years.

Also the article goes on with reference to a previous article featuring Senator X, this time with the focus on Adelaide airport...

"..Independent Senator Nick Xenophon also raised concerns on Thursday the toxins may have leaked into groundwater at Adelaide Airport.." 

...& also on a Yahoo 7 video and newsfeed:

7 News can reveal a cancer causing toxin is leaching into groundwater at Adelaide Airport. http://www.7news.com.au 

http://snpy.tv/1TMQg5t 

7 News | Adelaide airport
7 News - 7 News | 6pm nightly

  
What do you reckon the chances are of there being a NX initiated RRAT Senate inquiry sometime after the new parliament sits??

MTF...P2