The state premier has reassured Wagga the government is doing everything in its power to address the PFAS issue.
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But Wagga’s Country Labor candidate Dan Hayes says the state government has its head in the sand.
Mr Hayes last week exposed the Environment Minister’s ignorance about the toxic spread across the city.
Despite NSW Health claiming “no consistent evidence” could prove PFAS exposure affected human health, the US Environmental Protection Agency said it could “cause immune dysfunction, hormonal interference and certain types of cancer”.
While the chemicals have been found in a number of fire-retardant products like carpet cleaner, Scotchgard and Teflon, they were also detected in legacy firefighting foam all fire-combat agencies, including those on defence bases, used until 2004.
The Department of Defence last month announced it would launch its second investigation into the spread of per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances - known as PFAS - in Wagga.
A Defence report released in early June, revealed the pollutants had migrated through the storm water drains at Forest Hill, seeping into the surface and groundwater at the Gumly Gumly wetlands. In August, the department began another site analysis at Kapooka.
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The family of industrial chemicals was also detected in the sewage treatment plant at Forest Hill.
Following this, the state’s Environmental Protection Authority banned Wagga City Council from discharging its treated effluent into local waterways.
It revealed a more permanent solution would need to be found before the system’s storage capacity was breached.
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Following last week’s parliamentary sitting, Mr Hayes said the state government had provided no information about actions taken or future options being considered to remove the pollutant and stem its spread. The issue was deemed a federal government concern.
“Our community is desperate for answers, yet the Environment Minister doesn’t even know what’s going on,” Mr Hayes said.
“This should be at the top of the priority list for the EPA and the Environment Minister, but the government is obviously sticking their heads in the sand.”
Mr Hayes said the government’s priorities were wrong.
The sentiment was been echoed by Independent candidate for Wagga Paul Funnell in recent weeks.
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The city councillor said he wished there were laws for treason.
He said a decision to actively do nothing and to not ban the products containing PFAS should be an act against the country and a punishable offence.
It comes after South Australia and Queensland this year announced they would prohibit items that contained the highly-persistent group of chemicals. But NSW conceded it would not follow suit.
Instead, at a press conference in Wagga, NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian on Monday said the government would work with the federal government and federal agencies to remedy the chemical spread.
She said the investigations into the toxic contamination at two RAAF Base Wagga and Kapooka were of personal concern.
“We’ve always done our bit,” Ms Berejiklian said.
“As a state government we do everything within our power, but of course we urge federal agencies to step up and do their bit.”