Forest Hill residents may miss out on an opportunity to have their say in relation to an ongoing PFAS investigation at RAAF Base Wagga.
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It follows the launch of a federal parliamentary inquiry this week.
But with the results of a detailed site investigation at RAAF Base Wagga yet to be unveiled, Councillor Dan Hayes said the inquiry would have limited input from those potentially impacted by the environmental contamination at Forest Hill.
“I see the deadline for submission inquiry is July 6,” Cr Hayes said. “If that comes before results are released, residents may miss out on having their say.”
The discovery poly-fluoroalkyl substances – PFAS – at the Air Force base prompted further investigation in 2016.
These chemicals were ingredients found in firefighting foam a number of agencies, including RAAF, used from the ‘70s to 2008.
The chemicals are highly persistent, have been shown to be toxic to fish and some animals and can accumulate in the bodies of fish, animals and people who come into contact with them.
However, the levels detected in Wagga were nowhere near those seen at other bases such as the one at Williamtown, near Newcastle.
Related: Newcastle’s “toxic truth”
But Forest Hill residents have yet to see the results of the detailed site investigation.
Forest Hill Progress Association president Kevin Kerr said until this was released, it was hard to gauge the situation.
“Every time it’s brought up, it causes a stir,” Mr Kerr said. “But we can’t make an assessment until we have the results.”
As a means of reassurance, he said the amount of foam used on the base was minimal and a recent report had revealed the chemical had no ill effect on humans.
Mr Kerr’s words come after independent health panel, established by the federal government, found PFAS exposure could lead to a range of health “effects”, but these were found to be “within normal ranges” for the whole population.
After reviewing the “limited” amount of available scientific research on the contamination, the Expert Health Panel for PFAS found effects included reduced kidney function, increased levels of cholesterol and uric acid in the blood, alterations in some indicators of immune response, altered levels of thyroid hormones and sex hormones, later age menstruation, earlier menopause and lower birth weight in babies.
But the report, issued by Australia’s chief medical officer, Professor Brendan Murphy, said there was “mostly limited or no evidence for any link with human disease from these observed differences”.
Importantly, there is no current evidence that supports a large impact on a person’s health as a result of high levels of PFAS exposure.
The panel said public health officials decisions and advice about regulating or avoiding specific PFAS chemicals should be mainly based on the persistence and build-up of the chemicals.
Read the full report HERE.
