EPA SOIL AND SEDIMENT DIOXIN TESTING PROGRAM FINALISED AT BINARY SITE

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has released a report to Narangba community representatives outlining the results of a soil and sediment testing program for dioxins around the site of last year’s Binary chemical fire.

Environment Minister Lindy Nelson-Carr said while the government would never be complacent about the risk of dioxins at the site, the testing program had found dioxin levels in soils and sediments similar to those commonly found in urban and industrial areas.

Ms Nelson-Carr said the safety of residents in and around the site of the fire was the major priority for the EPA and a number of scientists and independent toxicologists were called in to evaluate the dioxin sampling results.

“Sediments from the bottom of containment ponds used to store contaminated firewater were tested, as well as soil and sediment samples collected up to two kilometres away from the Binary site.

“Assessment of the sample results by EPA scientists and by two independent environmental toxicologists found the dioxin levels are similar to background levels found in urban and industrial areas throughout Queensland,” Ms Nelson-Carr said.

Ms Nelson-Carr said that as expected the tests found levels of dioxins in the sediment from the bottom of the two ponds were slightly higher than background at 13 and 17 pgTEQ/g (World Health Organization’s “Toxic Equivalent” scale picograms per gram). Analysis of these results showed that most of the dioxins found in the ponds were the least toxic dioxins.

“Tests conducted up to one kilometre outside the Narangba Industrial Estate found levels up to 12 pgTEQ/g.

“To put these results in to perspective, the Australian Government’s National Dioxin Program found the ‘background’ level of dioxin commonly found in Queensland soils in urban and industrial areas ranges from 0.095 to 11 pgTEQ/g.

“Background levels in New South Wales reached up to 23 pgTEQ/g with sediments taken from Sydney’s ParramattaRiver around the polluted industrial area of HomebushBay had levels up to 520pgTEQ/g.”

Ms Nelson-Carr said dioxins were found in most soils and sediments in Australia.

“There are thousands of different sources of dioxins - some natural such as bushfires and volcanic action, and sources such as incineration (of many kinds of wastes), some manufacturing processes involving burning, smoking tobacco, and vehicle emissions.

“Our advice is that the dioxins may have been present in the soil before the fire, and could have come from other sources such as bushfires.

“Further testing of all soil samples did not find any traces of the chemicals that were stored on the Binary site. If the dioxins found at these sites were from the Binary fire, the other chemicals would also have been found in the soil samples.”

University of Queensland (UQ) environmental toxicologist Assoc Prof Barry Noller said his review of the EPA’s test results found no evidence that the Binary fire last year caused dioxin contamination of soils and sediments outside the area directly affected by the fire.

“The slightly higher than background levels found upstream may be due to fires or vehicle activities in the past,” Assoc Prof Noller said.

“The dioxin levels in soils and sediments downstream are quite low and similar to other locations in Australia.”

The EPA also sought the advice of UQ National Research Centre for Environmental Toxicology Director Professor Michael Moore regarding any potential health risks from exposure to soils contaminated with dioxins.

In written advice to the EPA Prof Moore said ”the concentrations found around the Narangba site, open to public access, were low and do not constitute a risk to humans even if these were more widely dispersed by airborne deposition of dust.

“As expected, sedimentary dioxins from the containment ponds were higher. Measures have been taken to minimize the risk of human exposure to these sediments, prior to treatment,” he said.

Ms Nelson-Carr said all possible measures had been taken to limit the chance of people coming in to contact with contaminated soils on the cleanup site.

“The EPA has also been working closely with Narangba community representatives to ensure they are aware of the results of these tests.”

Since taking over the lead role in the fire clean up operation in December 2005 the EPA has designed and operated a contaminated water treatment system that has enabled the emptying of each of the four containment ponds on Queensland Government and Caboolture Shire Council land adjacent to the Binary Industries site.

With the removal of this contaminated water, the contaminated soil can now be removed and taken off site for remediation. Once the contaminated soil has been removed, clean soil will be brought in and the area will be revegetated.

Further information on the EPA’s dioxin sampling program including maps, sampling results, and analysis by environmental toxicologists is available on the EPA website at www.epa.qld.gov.au.

Media contacts: Karla Steen on 3336 8004 (Minister Nelson-Carr)