Work on pit to fix danger

AN in-ground water pit containing potentially deadly chemicals will be filled in at the Cairns fire station today.

Testing last year confirmed the pit contained traces of perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), which are found in aqueous film forming foams (AFFF) previously used by firefighters at the station.

The water was deemed as not meeting drinking water guidelines.

The chemicals were at the centre of a major groundwater contamination scandal in Oakey on the Darling Downs and have also contaminated parts of Cairns Airport and the HMAS Cairns navy base.

Queensland Fire and Emergency Services Assistant Commissioner John Bolger confirmed Cairns would be the first of the Service’s sites in Queensland to have the filled today.

Mr Bolger said the Westcourt station had been a priority because the issue had initially raised its head here and the station had historically been one of the heaviest users of AFFF.

“This is also a way to show that we take health and safety matters very seriously,” he said.

The filling is expected to take most of the day.

Mr Bolger said contractors would initially remove the toxic water from inside the pit.

He said it would then be filled with road base and compacted every 300mm before being sealed with concrete.

United Firefighters Union general secretary John Oliver said the union was supportive of the move to fill the pit.

“As a safety precaution makes sense,” he said.

“Those type of old pits are very difficult to manage.” pit it