Minister demands answers on PCB treatment
Published Friday, 07 September, 2007 at 02:21 PM
Minister for Environment and Multiculturalism
The Honourable Lindy Nelson-Carr
Environment Minister Lindy Nelson-Carr has demanded answers as to how a chemical treatment plant has released highly toxic chemicals into the Caboolture sewerage system above limits set by the Council.
Ms Nelson-Carr said the Environmental Protection Agency was investigating the release of higher than allowed polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) levels from the BCD Technologies facility at Narangba to the Caboolture Shire Council sewerage system.
“While the regulation of the release of trade waste to the sewer is a local council responsibility, I have asked the EPA to ensure that a thorough investigation is underway. I want answers for the government and residents as soon as possible.
“We will do everything necessary to find out how this incident was allowed to occur and make sure it doesn’t happen again.”
Ms Nelson-Carr said the EPA had taken enforcement action against BCD Technologies Pty Ltd and Caboolture Shire Council after independent monitoring found concentrations of PCBs discharged to the sewer 11 times higher than those permitted under the trade waste agreement between BCD Technologies and Caboolture Shire Council.
“Thankfully, testing undertaken by the EPA has found that the chemicals have not entered the river or bay however the fact that this was allowed to occur is totally unacceptable.
“I am outraged this was allowed to occur. The residents of Narangba and the environment deserve better,” Ms Nelson-Carr said.
PCBs are compounds with good insulating properties that were used in products like electrical goods. Because of health concerns, PCBs were banned from products manufactured in Australia from 1979 or import from 1986.
EPA Executive Director Environmental Operations Mark Williamson said the breach was detected during testing undertaken by consultants GHD on behalf of the Commonwealth Government’s AusAid program which allows for the destruction of persistent organic pollutants, including PCBs, from Pacific Island countries at BCD Technologies.
Mr Williamson said this testing detected a breach of the trade waste agreement, which allows for very low concentrations of PCBs to be released in wastewater through the sewerage system.
“The EPA acted immediately on being notified of the breach and launched an investigation into the environmental inmpacts.
“Council is the regulator of trade waste under the Water Act and has dealt with BCD’s most recent exceedence by requiring the company to cease its direct discharge of trade waste to the sewer.
“The EPA had taken enforcement action under the Environmental Protection Act 1994 and issued Council with a notice to conduct an environmental evaluation.
“This environmental evaluation must outline the impact of this breach on Council’s ability to comply with its EPA development approval in relation to discharges from the sewage treatment plant.
“It must also outline any actions taken to remove detected PCBs from the system.
“Information provided by Council to the EPA through the course of this investigation indicates this is not the first time BCD Technologies has breached its trade waste agreement with Council.
“While Council’s licence with the EPA does not set PCB limits, we would expect any Council that knows it has received an excess that has the potential to cause environmental harm to notify the EPA as required under the Environmental Protection Act.
“The EPA has also issued an environmental protection order to BCD Technologies Pty Ltd that sets limits on the amount of PCB contaminated material the company can release to Council’s sewerage system.”
Mr Williamson said the EPA had undertaken its own sampling, to determine whether there were quantifiable concentrations of PCBs in sediments in the Caboolture River near the outfall from the STP.
“The testing involved three samples each from four locations starting upstream from the sewerage outfall to just outside the mouth of the Caboolture River in Deception Bay,
“PCBs were not detected in any of the 12 samples, which indicates to us that the breach of the trade waste agreement has not resulted in the release of PCBs to the environment.”
The EPA is working with Queensland Health and the Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries to ensure that this matter is investigated fully. All PCB analysis results will be publicly available on the EPA’s website in the coming weeks.
ENDS
Media contact: Karla Steen 3336 8004 or EPA Media Unit 3227 8452
Ms Nelson-Carr said the Environmental Protection Agency was investigating the release of higher than allowed polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) levels from the BCD Technologies facility at Narangba to the Caboolture Shire Council sewerage system.
“While the regulation of the release of trade waste to the sewer is a local council responsibility, I have asked the EPA to ensure that a thorough investigation is underway. I want answers for the government and residents as soon as possible.
“We will do everything necessary to find out how this incident was allowed to occur and make sure it doesn’t happen again.”
Ms Nelson-Carr said the EPA had taken enforcement action against BCD Technologies Pty Ltd and Caboolture Shire Council after independent monitoring found concentrations of PCBs discharged to the sewer 11 times higher than those permitted under the trade waste agreement between BCD Technologies and Caboolture Shire Council.
“Thankfully, testing undertaken by the EPA has found that the chemicals have not entered the river or bay however the fact that this was allowed to occur is totally unacceptable.
“I am outraged this was allowed to occur. The residents of Narangba and the environment deserve better,” Ms Nelson-Carr said.
PCBs are compounds with good insulating properties that were used in products like electrical goods. Because of health concerns, PCBs were banned from products manufactured in Australia from 1979 or import from 1986.
EPA Executive Director Environmental Operations Mark Williamson said the breach was detected during testing undertaken by consultants GHD on behalf of the Commonwealth Government’s AusAid program which allows for the destruction of persistent organic pollutants, including PCBs, from Pacific Island countries at BCD Technologies.
Mr Williamson said this testing detected a breach of the trade waste agreement, which allows for very low concentrations of PCBs to be released in wastewater through the sewerage system.
“The EPA acted immediately on being notified of the breach and launched an investigation into the environmental inmpacts.
“Council is the regulator of trade waste under the Water Act and has dealt with BCD’s most recent exceedence by requiring the company to cease its direct discharge of trade waste to the sewer.
“The EPA had taken enforcement action under the Environmental Protection Act 1994 and issued Council with a notice to conduct an environmental evaluation.
“This environmental evaluation must outline the impact of this breach on Council’s ability to comply with its EPA development approval in relation to discharges from the sewage treatment plant.
“It must also outline any actions taken to remove detected PCBs from the system.
“Information provided by Council to the EPA through the course of this investigation indicates this is not the first time BCD Technologies has breached its trade waste agreement with Council.
“While Council’s licence with the EPA does not set PCB limits, we would expect any Council that knows it has received an excess that has the potential to cause environmental harm to notify the EPA as required under the Environmental Protection Act.
“The EPA has also issued an environmental protection order to BCD Technologies Pty Ltd that sets limits on the amount of PCB contaminated material the company can release to Council’s sewerage system.”
Mr Williamson said the EPA had undertaken its own sampling, to determine whether there were quantifiable concentrations of PCBs in sediments in the Caboolture River near the outfall from the STP.
“The testing involved three samples each from four locations starting upstream from the sewerage outfall to just outside the mouth of the Caboolture River in Deception Bay,
“PCBs were not detected in any of the 12 samples, which indicates to us that the breach of the trade waste agreement has not resulted in the release of PCBs to the environment.”
The EPA is working with Queensland Health and the Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries to ensure that this matter is investigated fully. All PCB analysis results will be publicly available on the EPA’s website in the coming weeks.
ENDS
Media contact: Karla Steen 3336 8004 or EPA Media Unit 3227 8452