Recall follows Oakey water contamination crisis

A BAN has been issued on the use of the substance at the centre of a water contamination crisis in Queensland, effective immediately. But the Government is powerless to enforce the ban on some properties.

Water out of the bore at an Oakey property. The land is thought to have been contaminated after fire fighting foam training at the nearby army aviation centre. Pic: David Martinelli

THE Queensland Government will ban all future use of toxic fire fighting foam across the state under a strict new policy.

Environment Minister Steven Miles has told The Courier-Mail that all existing stockpiles of Aqueous Film Forming Foam (AFFF) at the centre of the Oakey water contamination crisis will be withdrawn from services at “commercial and industrial premises”, effective immediately.

But he said the State Government was powerless to enforce the same ban on Commonwealth owned Defence sites including Oakey, Amberley and Townsville. It is understood some of these sites still hold significant amounts of the toxic firefighting foam on site.

The ban will apply to Queensland’s industrial ports, bulk fuel storage facilities and rural fire stations that currently hold stockpiles of PFOS/PFOA containing foams for use in emergency situations.

“Our focus is on those who hold large stocks of toxic firefighting foam for use in an emergency situation, as they have the potential to cause significant environmental harm, if used,’ Dr Miles said.

“We do not want to see the continued use of these products at any facility in Queensland and I congratulate those who have already transitioned away from PFC containing firefighting foam”.

Oakey Creek collection point. A firefighting foam has been banned after being at the centre of water contamination at Oakey. Pic: Mark Calleja

According to Dr Miles the government will now require all existing stockpiles to be withdrawn from businesses and replaced “as soon as practicable with more sustainable alternatives”.

“Businesses failing to comply with the policy to replace such stocks will face enforcement action and businesses that supply or replenish portable extinguishers will also need to comply,” he said.

“This policy is about doing what is right for current and future generations based on the growing knowledge of these chemicals that we have today,” Dr Miles said.

National Toxics Network chemical expert Doctor Mariann Lloyd-Smith welcomed the announcement.

“We have been calling for a recall of all PFOS and PFOA based firefighting foams for a while and I hope other state governments as well as the Federal Government follow Queensland’s lead,” Dr Lloyd-Smith said.

Dr Lloyd-Smith said the move would be vital to identify AFFF supplies in regional Queensland towns.

Dr Mariann Lloyd-Smith welcomed the ban but was disappointed the recall wouldn’t include Defence land. Pic: Jerad Williams

“One of the clear benefits of doing this is that you can find accumulated foam from rural fire fighters as there has been evidence of small stockpiles of foams in rural fire sheds which is extremely worrying,” she said.

Dr Lloyd-Smith said she was disappointed that the recall would not include Defence land.

“They may have stockpiles across Queensland that we’re completely unaware of,” she said.

“We have been calling on the Federal Government to implement a national recall for that last couple of decades to no avail, which is very disappointing”.

It is understood companies with stock piles of AFFF will be given a time frame to appropriate phase out and replace their stocks with environmentally acceptable solutions.

“Over coming months, the government will work with ports and bulk fuel storage facilities to ensure they fully understand the government’s new strict policy”.