Maitland Farmers Not Happy With EPA Response: PFAS

BY KYLE CARROLL

The NSW Labor Opposition is demanding answers from the NSW Government, after testing of Maitland's Stony Creek and Swap Creek showed chemical concentrations of PFAS.

Originating from the Truegrain waste oil processing facility at Rutherford, which was stripped of its environmental protection licence in 2016 by the NSW Environmental Protection Authority (EPA), there are concerns that no testing was carried out after this leading to the disaster today.

Shadow Environment Minister, Penny Sharpe cannot believe that testing was not carried out. 

"It beggars belief that the Government appears to have failed to adequately investigate the site at Rutherford, even after its environment protection licence was suspended and while the Williamtown scandal was at the top of everyone's minds."

Residents near the Rutherford site have now been told to avoid using the contaminated water for domestic or livestock use.

Michelle Viola, a beef farmer whos property runs along Fishery Creek, is confused by the guidelines handed down by the EPA, which recommends not eating home slaughtered meat, but is allowing her to continue selling it.

"It's a moral dilemma. How can we put stuff out on the market that we are not recommended to eat ourselves?" she continued.

"If the guidelines had of been handed down sooner, we could have prevented livestock accessing the water."

Ms Viola is calling for the state government to do more to ensure quality control.

"I'm asking that a temporary fence is supplied to prevent the cattle from accessing the creek, and I also want testing for our cattle so I can sell them without any concerns for health," she said. 

Member for Maitland, Jenny Atichson believes the communication needs to improve.

"The Government needs to provide the community with everything it knows, and do it now."

Hazmat crews inspect the Trugain facility in 2017. Image: Maitland Mercury.