Brimbank council is seeking urgent assurance that community safety is not at risk after Melbourne Airport confirmed contamination caused by toxic chemicals has spread beyond its boundaries.
The council was recently made aware of a contamination issue concerning per-and poly-fluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS), historically used in firefighting foams at the airport.
Cr John Hedditch said it was imperative the council and the community were made aware of the full extent of the contamination.
“There are nasty things in our waterways …this is a major problem, and we don’t know to what extent. The community has told us they can’t get answers either,” Cr Hedditch said.
“It is unclear just how far the contamination has spread, and that is just not good enough.
“We want the federal authorities and the EPA to tell us who has responsibility for this, and what’s going on.
“We need this issue resolved at the earliest.”
The health effects relating to exposures to mixtures of PFAS are a matter of debate, however major health studies have linked it to a number of diseases, including cancer.
Brimbank mayor Margaret Giudice said the council would write to the EPA as well as state and federal ministers to request the release of longitudinal data on the health of the Maribyrnong River, Steele Creek, Steele Creek North and Arundel Creek.
“We want an understanding of how long federal and state governments have known about the presence of PFAS at Melbourne Airport, and about how local residents and waterway groups are being kept informed of remediation action,” Cr Giudice said
“Importantly, we want confirmation of which agency is taking responsibility for the oversight of the clean-up of PFAS at the airport.”
Star Weekly contacted Melbourne Airport for comment.
Anyone concerned should contact the Melbourne Airport on 9297 1597.
