Contamination report sat idle for four years
Groundwater contamination that led to a ban on bore water use in the western suburbs in 2013 had been known to the Environment Protection Authority (EPA) for four years before residents were notified, documents show.
Official documents show the EPA received reports that levels of trichloroethylene (TCE) in Allenby Gardens and Flinders Park exceeded the World Health Organisation’s Guidelines by 77.5 times or 310 times the US EPA guidelines.
The revelations will add to the concerns that spilled over in parliament this week when government ministers admitted they knew for weeks about rising levels of TCE in Clovelly Park houses and the need to relocate residents.
In other developments, calls for an inquiry into the Clovelly Park issue are now being considered by the Opposition after a professor of chemistry at the University of Adelaide recommended evacuating contaminated homes in the suburb within a matter of weeks, contrary to the Government’s intention.
The Government has told residents they will be relocated by December this year.
A former EPA head, Campbell Gemmell, also chimed into the issue overnight, tweeting from Scotland that “The legacy of industry’s use of TCE goes on and needs direct and expensive treatment. It’s about remediation not regulation!”
InDaily asked the EPA about whether there had been any attempts to remediate the land at Clovelly Park – in response they pointed us to a media release archive which doesn’t appear to include any mention of remediation.
Meanwhile, the contamination issue has broadened, with new concerns raised about the Flinders Park/Allenby Gardens report, titled Site Audit Report: Lot 3 Moorfield Terrace, Allenby Gardens, which, according to council records, was sent to the EPA and City of Charles Sturt in June 2009.
The report detailed results of testing and modelling in the area by the land owner between 2004 and 2009.
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It took, however, a further four years before residents of the area were told.
In November 2004, the Department of Health wrote to residents in an Flinders Park and Allenby Gardens bounded by Holbrooks Road, Banks Ave, Hallett Blvd, Moorfield Terrace, Mountbatten Terrace and part of Beatty Street, advising “residents with bores in the vicinity not to use bore water for any purpose unless it has been tested and deemed safe for its intended use”.
The letter went on to say that “Further investigations are continuing to ascertain the degree and extent of the borewater contamination in the area”.
Flinders Park Residents Association members say they never received the results of the tests.
“For many households within the proposed prohibition area, the letter from the EPA dated 8 February 2013, was the first time of any notification on possible contaminated groundwater, given that the proposed prohibition area covers a significantly greater number of households than that covered by the Department of Health notification back in November 2004,” the association said in a letter to the State Government last year.
In a response last year to the community concerns the EPA said it had only received the power to monitor groundwater in July 2009.
“In November 2004, the then Department of Health advised the owners and occupiers in the vicinity of the source site at Allenby Gardens of groundwater contamination, the impacts of potential groundwater movement away from the source site and the potential risk to human health,” the EPA said in a statement titled “Response to questions raised at community meetings”.
“In October of 2006, Channel 7 current affairs show, Today Tonight, featured a media segment on contaminated groundwater in Allenby Gardens,” it noted.
“On 1 July 2009 the EPA gained a range of powers to assist in the assessment and remediation of contaminated groundwater.
“Among these was the ability for the EPA to establish water prohibition areas. The EPA is now able to direct its resources towards establishing water prohibition areas in Adelaide.”
It took a further four years before the EPA instituted a groundwater ban.
EPA Director of Science and Assessment Peter Dolan announced the prohibition in February 2013.
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“This is yet another example of where historic activities such as the dumping of industrial chemicals have contaminated groundwater,” Dolan said in a statement.
“In this instance clay materials were excavated from the area for brick-making purposes resulting in what is commonly referred to as pugholes which were subsequently filled with industrial and chemical waste.
“Historically, backfilling of excavation areas with waste was considered a suitable practice.
“So over time what has occurred is those chemical substances have moved into the groundwater, resulting in groundwater contamination.”
The EPA said it will notify owners/occupiers within the groundwater prohibition area if there is a substantial change in the groundwater contamination and/or where a modification of the established area is warranted.
Residents have not had any further advice since 2013.
Opposition Leader Steven Marshall said his office had received calls this morning relating to the Flinders Park matter.
“What’s happened here is that the Clovelly Park issue has sparked other communities into raising their problems,” he said.
“We’ll be pursuing those matters.”
Marshall said calls for an inquiry into “who knew what and when” will be considered.
“We’re currently considering our options in relation to that.
“The EPA is scheduled to appear before a parliamentary committee on September 8.
“We may seek something more substantial and earlier.”
Marshall rejected the notion that the EPA did not have sufficient resources to deal with suburban contamination issues.
“The EPA made a profit last year of around $8 million.
“We must be the only place in the world that runs environment protection as a profit centre.”
