Legal battle over plan to dump contaminated soil near Bacchus Marsh Grammar
Bacchus Marsh Grammar says it stands to lose over a million dollars if plans to dump toxic West Gate Tunnel soil just metres from its campus goes ahead.
Victoria
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Bacchus Marsh Grammar has launched legal action against the Environment Protection Authority over a plan to dump contaminated soil from the West Gate Tunnel project near its campus.
The school has filed a request for a review in the Supreme Court, claiming the EPA had no power to approve a plan which would see the soil, believed to contain carcinogens including PFAS, dumped at the Maddingley Coal landfill site metres from the school.
In an affidavit filed in support of the school’s action, Bacchus Marsh Grammar principal and director, Andrew Neal, said the landfill decision could see enrolments fall by up to 10 per cent.
About 2000 students from Prep to Year 12, are enrolled at the school’s Maddingley campus.
“At its closest point, the boundary of the Maddingley campus is approximately 220 metres
from the boundary of the landfill site,” Mr Neal said in his affidavit.
Mr Neal said he was concerned about the possibility of PFAS being in the soil and the impact of PFAS exposure on human health, particularly that of young children.
He also expressed concerns about the safety risk to children caused by expected increased truck traffic on roads around the Maddingley campus.
Mr Neal said many parents had told him they would take their children out of school or not enrol them if the tunnel dirt storage plan went ahead.
“It is my belief that there is a real prospect that parents will remove their children from the school if the landfill site is used to receive and store the contaminated tunnel soil and that parents will decide not to enrol their children at Bacchus Marsh Grammar in the future,” he claimed in his affidavit.
“I believe that the decision to allow Maddingley Coal to receive and store contaminated tunnel soil at the landfill site has already adversely affected BMG’s reputation as a school where the health and safety of its students (and employees) is paramount.
“I have spoken to or received letters and emails from over 50 parents who have referred to the possibility of removing their children from the Maddingley campus.”
Mr Neal’s affidavit stated the school could lose up to $1.25 million in enrolment linked income in 2022 if the landfill decision stood.
“In addition to the economic impact of the decision on the school’s enrolment and long term
viability, I am concerned about: (a) the potential for harm to the health of students and staff;
(b) the impact of the decision on the mental health and wellbeing of some staff and
students, especially those already concerned about being educated so close to a
contaminated site; and (C) damage to the morale of the school, including as a result of the departure of students,” the affidavit read.
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Originally published as Legal battle over plan to dump contaminated soil near Bacchus Marsh Grammar