The grounds of St Columba’s Catholic College in Springwood are being investigated by the Environment Protection Authority over elevated levels of toxins from firefighting foam used in Rural Fire Service training exercises more than a decade ago.
The college is one site among 10 in Sydney, 25 in NSW and 90 across the nation that authorities are investigating for elevated levels of per- and polyfluoroalkyl chemicals (PFAS) with suspected links to cancer cases in Australia and overseas, following a Sydney Morning Herald investigation.
Parents and staff at St Columba’s College were informed about the testing in February this year.
The Rural Fire Service [RFS] has stated it is working with the Environment Protection Authority [EPA] and St Columba’s Catholic College “to investigate the extent of any PFAS contamination on the college grounds [and] further testing will be undertaken to determine pathways through which NSW RFS members and members of the public may have come into contact with these chemicals”.
The grounds of St Columba’s were used as a training facility by the RFS in consultation with the college prior to 2007. The RFS confirmed it used “significant quantities” of the now outdated foam as part of training. Ground water samples at grotto fields exceeded the drinking water guidelines when tested in December last year. More testing will take place at the school next month.
“Among these locations are the grotto fields (top oval) and the old squash courts on the grounds of the St Columba’s Catholic College at 168 Hawkesbury Road, Springwood,” the RFS said on its website.
“Following an initial inspection and soil sampling, an environmental consultant, Arcadis ... found PFAS exceeding the guidance value at only one of the 44 sample locations (at grotto fields) in soil. Only ground water samples at grotto fields exceeded the drinking water guidelines amongst the samples taken from across the college grounds.”
But the Environment Protection Authority has said “it is unlikely the college community has had significant contact with PFAS as the college is connected to town water and does not use ground, bore or surface water”.
The school’s principal Paul Ryan [see full statement below] contacted parents in February about the issue informing them of “testing on an open section of ground on the far western side of the driveway that leads to the main building known as ‘the grotto’, and around the decommissioned handball/squash Courts”.
“The result of the concrete and soil testing carried out in the nominated areas showed that small traces of PFAS compounds were detected in areas around the grotto field and the decommissioned handball/squash courts. However, there was only a small area within the grotto field where the reading exceeded the PFAS recommended ‘guidance values’ as nominated in the PFAS National Environment Plan. Follow-up testing confirmed the original findings. Further soil testing, as well as testing at groundwater bores and local creeks, is also being carried out (NB: Bore water is not used at the college for any purpose),” Mr Ryan said.
“Once we were made aware of the outcomes of the testing, the NSW Environmental Protection Authority was notified… It advised that the sample was of minimal risk to the communities of St Columba’s and St Thomas Aquinas, particularly given where it was located and how the site is used.”
The EPA said “the [St Columba’s] school oval has been used since 2014 for two hours a week for general sporting activities, such as soccer and softball, and has not been used since school resumed in 2018”.
And an RFS spokesman told the Gazette on Friday: “While no remediation has been recommended from the studies, the only activity that NSW RFS is proposing as a precautionary measure is to remove or treat the 10 x10m x 0.3m of soil.This work is planned to be completed by the end of July 2018 and NSW RFS will keep you informed as we progress.”
The EPA has called PFAS “an emerging contaminant, which means that their ecological and/or human health effects are unclear” and said it is working with RFS and the college to “ensure an appropriate, scientific and risk-based approach is used throughout the investigation, and that the community receives information in a timely manner”. The RFS no longer uses this foam.
The chemicals used in the fire retardant was manufactured by Fortune 500 company 3M and used by the military, commercial airports, fire brigades and heavy industry for decades. In many cases run-off was flushed directly into the environment.PFAS is also a chemical used in products like non-stick frypans, waterproof clothing and packaging.
The Herald investigation revealed at least 21 children at an American high school have battled cancer through their school years while growing up in a city whose water supply was contaminated with PFAS. Fairfax Media has previously revealed 50 cancer cases over a 15 year period near the Williamtown air base, an area that has also been contamined with PFAS chemicals from firefighting foam. Seven military bases across NSW are being investigated, including the Richmond RAAF base in the Hawkesbury and the Holsworthy Army Barracks, near Liverpool.
State Member for the Blue Mountains Trish Doyle said there needed to be a thorough investigation.
“I will be watching the outcomes of the NSW EPA’s investigation closely,” she said.
“Given PFAS’ original intended use was as an aviation fuel fire suppressant, PFAS contamination has to date been a particular problem at Defence sites such as RAAF Richmond and potentially at the helicopter landing site on RAAF Base Glenbrook.
“It now appears that from time to time some state government agencies have also trialled its use and this has led to a contamination at St Columbas’ grounds.
“The community must now be kept up-to-date by accurate and timely information from the EPA as the investigation and remediation unfolds.”
In 2009, a global agreement was reached to ban one of the chemicals, PFOS, by listing it on the United Nation’s Stockholm Convention. In the years since, Australia is one of the only countries that has not ratified the decision, which would cost an estimated $39 million. At least 171 countries have agreed to the phase-out, including the UK, Germany and China.
The Department of Health maintains there is no consistent evidence the toxins cause “important” health effects, in contrast to the US EPA, which has concluded that they are a human health hazard that – at high enough levels – can cause immune dysfunction, hormonal interference and certain types of cancer in humans”.
The assistant environment minister Melissa Price has not commented on the Fairfax Media story.
For more details about the statewide PFAS program go to www.epa.nsw.gov.au/MediaInformation/pfasinvestigation.htm or register for updates by emailing pfas@rfs.nsw.gov.au.
FULL MEDIA STATEMENT FROM ST COLUMBA’S PRINCIPAL PAUL RYAN, SPRINGWOOD
“Over the past six months, the NSW Rural Fire Services (RFS) has been investigating sites that had been used for firefighting training. The focus has been on assessing the presence of PFAS – a chemical that was previously used in firefighting foam. A section of the grounds at St Columba’s Catholic College Springwood known as the ‘Grotto fields’ (top oval) and around the old squash courts were areas where training with PFAS took place prior to 2007.
In mid-December 2017, the RFS, through a survey, identified that PFAS-containing firefighting foam may have been stored and used for training purposes on these two sections of the College grounds.
RFS engaged qualified consultants to undertake sampling on the College grounds. This work was done in consultation from the NSW Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The results showed that the traces of PFAS in the soil were complaint with the PFAS National Environmental Management Plan (NEMP), with the exception of a small area of soil at the grotto.
The Health Risk Assessment did not recommend that any remediation work is required on the site; however, as a precaution, a 10mx10mx300mm section of soil will be removed in the one area (the grotto) where the PFAS reading was slightly about the EPA guidance value. This work will take place in July. The area is not used by students.
The safety and wellbeing of all members of the St Columba’s community will always be the highest priority.
A communication was sent to all parents and staff of St Columba’s and St Thomas Aquinas Primary on 26 February. This communication included an EPA Fact Sheet with information about PFAS. The College and Catholic Education Diocese of Parramatta have worked closely with both the RFS and the EPA since being made aware of the matter.
More information on PFAS is available at www.epa.nsw.gov.au/MediaInformation/pfas investigation.htm or by calling the NSW Environment Line on 131 555.”
