BY EDIE-LOUISE DIEMAR
New guidelines from the Environmental Health Standing Committee (EnHealth) advises Williamtown residents to avoid contact with the toxic firefighting chemical, PFAS.
The EnHealth statement suggests "action should be taken to address the source of exposure and interrupt known human exposure pathways".
Coalition Against PFAS president, Lindsay Clout, says this announcement is a shift in government position but he is disappointed the onus has been put back on residents.
"We've been contaminated through no fault of our own. All we want is for our properties to be cleaned up," he said.
The government has maintained its position there is no link between PFAS chemicals and health effects but stands by the EnHealth guidelines.
The EnHealth advice comes as free blood testing for Williamtown residents comes to an end.
Mr Clout believes the government wishes to avoid seeing what a second round of blood tests might reveal about the extent of the PFAS contamination.
"I think people are frightened that a second round of blood test might show that the levels haven't changed or in some cases increased," he said.
The blood tests were ended citing reasons the results shouldn't be considered diagnostic but Mr Clout says residents are aware of this, its the history and scientific benefits of testing that are important.
The Coalition Against PFAS has fought to extend blood testing to monitor residents attempts to avoid PFAS.
"At long last [the government] have recognised that the short answer is move residents away from it. That's what we've been telling them for sometime."
