"We're being abandoned."
It's how residents living in the Williamtown red zone feel after the Department of Defence came to give them yet another map of the contaminated area and revised guidelines on how to deal with it.
More than 250 residents packed into the Murrook Cultural Centre last night to see an updated Human Health Risk Assessment from Defence including a new map with four colour-coded risk zones, which appears different to the one issued by the NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA) just two weeks ago.
The risk assessment aimed to assess the potential human health risks of exposure to PFAS impacted soil, groundwater, surface water, sediment, seafood, and others.
The four risk zones carry varying levels of contamination. Defence also issued its own set of precautionary guidelines for each of the zones. In the risk assessment, Defence advises residents to follow the precautions to "minimise their exposure to PFAS pending further information becoming available."
But it's feeling like too little too late for residents who are begging for an escape.
Lindsay Clout, the President of the Fullerton Cove Residents Action group believes the meeting last night was a joke."Make no mistake what happened last night was the Department of Defence walking away from the responsibility of this contamination. They spent two hours last night telling us that we, the community, now have to manage the impacts of this contamination."
"It's more of the same, which is nothing. I mean, the Department of Defence must have the biggest mirror in the country because pretty well every question that was asked of them last night their response was 'we will look into it'," said Lindsay.
Department of Defence representatives admitted no human blood tests were included in the data they collected to create their map of the contamination zone, adding to the frustration of residents.
"[Port Stephens MP] Kate Washington asked the question 'was there any blood testing results included in the construction of the map' and the answer was no. And she asked 'how is it a human health risk assessment can be presented without human health results?' And the disturbing thing is that defence didn't even understand the question," said Lindsay.
Lindsay couldn't believe the incompetence he witnessed at last night's meeting particularly when it came to Defence's list of guidelines for residents.
"But the paradox of the whole issue is, Defence keep putting out this statement that there are no known health impacts from the chemical, yet they're telling us don't eat your eggs, don't grow your vegetables in the contaminated area, don't drink the bore water, you have to be cautious with this, you have to be cautious with that,"
"And then they tell us well it shouldn't really matter because there are no known health impacts from it. It's just out of control."
EPA v. Department of Defence
In early November, the red zone was expanded to include another 250 properties in Fullerton Cove and Salt Ash.The EPA's map and report were based on the same data as Defence's map but they instead divide the area up into three zones. In one zone, the risk is high and strict restrictions are in place and in the two other zones contamination is either confirmed or potentially present and those have less strict precautions.
"The Defence risk assessment provides people with some background to the science and the data but we recommend that people focus on the EPA map which provides them with all of the information that they need to follow the precautions and keep themselves safe on their properties," said Northern Region Director of the EPA Adam Gilligan.
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| Environment Protection Authority map fo the contaminated zone. |
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| Department of Defence map of the contaminated red zone. |
There are differing precautions listed between Defence and the EPA. For instance according to Defence eating home-grown fruit and vegetables is acceptable in some areas, but according to the EPA guidelines, all residents are advised not to eat anything grown on their properties.
Adam Gilligan said they understand the horrible time residents are having and want to help holding numerous drop-in sessions, and are happy to meet with residents one-on-one.
He adds now it's also time to move into an ongoing management phase at the site because the contamination isn't going anywhere anytime soon.
"So we are continuing to work with Defence to get more done to stop contamination leaving the base first and foremost and also do ongoing monitoring to make sure that we continue to assess the levels of contamination in the environment."
The EPA was at two information sessions being held today in Williamtown, and will be at Salt Ash Primary School tomorrow from 3:30pm until 6pm for any residents who couldn't go along today.
The EPA's findings and advice can be found here.
The summary of the Department of Defence's risk assessment can be found here.
In the end, Lindsay said it's all infuriated him even further and he doesn't know who to believe.
"Well, in my opinion, none of it. The only person I believe has any credibility on this issue at all is Professor Mary O'Kane, NSW Chief Scientist but they don't seem to be listening to her."
"I just despair at where we're going, we're being abandoned, and now we're being given the responsibility to deal with contamination."
