Hundreds turn out to community forum opposing McLaren Vale PFAS waste storage
The McLaren Vale community has come out in force to oppose a plan to store contaminated waste near homes, schools and grape-growing land.
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Almost 350 people have attended a community forum to voice their opposition to a plan to store contaminated waste in McLaren Vale.
The meeting focused on a proposal by Southern Waste ResourceCo (SWR) to dump and store PFAS-contaminated waste at its Tatachilla Road landfill site.
Labor Member for Mawson Leon Bignell – who hosted the forum on Wednesday night – said the community was overwhelmingly in opposition to the plan.
“It is clear the McLaren Vale and surrounding community do not want PFAS toxic waste dumped so close to their homes, schools and primary agricultural and grape growing land,” he said.
PFAS – or per-fluoroalkyl and poly-fluoroalkyl substances – helps resist heat, stains and grease and was most famously used in fire fighting foams.
While the full-term effects of PFAS chemicals on the environment are not yet known, early studies have shown the toxin accumulates in the human body over time.
Potentially cancer-causing toxins from the foam have contaminated thousands of sites across Australia, including Largs North Fire Station, Adelaide Airport and RAAF Base Edinburgh.
In July, an SWR spokeswoman said the Tatachilla Road facility’s technology provided a superior level of security and safeguard from the environment and importantly prevents any contamination of groundwater.
“SWR’s purpose-built facility would enable the removal of PFAS from uncontrolled source sites, where they pose a risk to the community, to a world standard, highly sophisticated disposal cell where it can be safely and appropriately managed,” she said.
Mr Bignell plans to introduce an Environment Protection (Disposal of PFAS Contaminated Substances) Bill.
“We will continue as a community to fight for the protection of our local area,” he said.
“And we hope the Marshall Government will back my Bill to protect all agricultural land in SA as well as the metro area and regional towns and cities.”
The proposal is currently being assessed by the Environment Protection Authority.