Five Beverley homes face evacuation over contamination fears

SEVERAL properties at Beverley may face evacuation after ongoing testing for potentially dangerous contamination identified 48 properties needing further testing.

A house in the contaminated area of Clovelly Park, on the corner of Ash Ave and Chestnut Court. Picture: Dean Martin

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FIVE residential properties at Beverley have registered alarming levels of potentially dangerous trichloroethene (TCE) vapour including one where the family has opted to relocate temporarily at government expense.

Two of the homes where the levels are so high they require intervention will have underfloor pipes with fans installed by the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) to extract the vapour.

Both are occupied by families with children, including one where the family accepted an offer to relocate for up to six months while the testing and mitigation work is done.

TCE is an industrial solvent which forced the precautionary evacuation of homes at Clovelly Park and the demolition of 25 buildings by Renewal SA after it rose as vapour from contaminated groundwater and was found in homes in dangerous levels.

TCE levels at five homes at Beverley are higher than the levels found at Clovelly Park.

However, the Clovelly Park properties were mostly Housing Trust homes while the Beverley properties are privately owned, and the EPA has no power to force evacuations or even conduct tests if the owners object regardless of health risks.

The EPA started testing in an area of about 3000 properties in Beverley last year after TCE contamination was found and this has been narrowed down to an area of 181 properties near Pope St.

Based on computer modelling, residents of 48 properties were offered site-specific testing but only 20 accepted the offer.

A map showing the area in Beverley under investigation.

Of these:

TWO properties fell within the “no action” response range with concentrations less than detection limits;

FIVE properties fell within the safe “validation” range;

EIGHT properties fell within the “investigation” range and further indoor testing is expected;

FIVE properties fell within the “intervention” range including two where internal ventilation systems will be installed in August.

EPA Operations Director Science, Assessment and Planning, Peter Dolan, said the properties in the high range need work to mitigate any health risks.

“We are certainly of a mind once we get into that range we need to intervene to minimise any health risks,” he said.

“Further sampling will be offered to property owners where required, including a pilot trial for the installation of a vapour mitigation system which will be organised in the coming months.”

He noted differing construction materials and seasonal factors such as heavy rain could affect vapour levels.

Residents of the 13 properties in the higher range levels have been offered temporary relocation while indoor testing continues but all except one family have declined.

While TCE is linked to cancer Mr Dolan stressed this requires long term exposure at high levels and residents were more concerned about what is being done to fix the problem than moving.

Dozens of businesses — many which no longer exist — used TCE in the area and routinely dumped it from the 1920s to the 1980s when that was an acceptable form of disposal, so identifying a culprit for costs would be difficult.

Mr Dolan was optimistic the mitigation work to minimse risk of vapours would mean there is no need for longer term relocations, but observed that as the homes are privately owned any move would be up to the owners.

The EPA received more than $2 million in the Mid Year Budget Review for assessment and testing at Beverley, Hendon, Edwardstown and Glenelg, and the cost of any temporary relocation of residents will be covered from this budget.

The EPA is continuing its work to determine the scope for a potential future groundwater prohibition area to apply a formal ban on the extraction of groundwater in the area through a bore.

Residents have been reminded not to use groundwater for any purpose until further notice.