Contamination risk ‘acceptable’

OAKEY residents have been told the risk of contamination from toxic chemicals is “low and acceptable,” but only if they don’t drink from the groundwater or eat anything grown in the area.

That’s according to a new report commissioned for the Department of Defence, which filled in gaps but recorded the same results as a report 12 months ago.

AECOM’s Human Health Risk Assessment report said residents living in “Groundwater Zone 2”, which is immediately south and south-west of the site, should not drink the groundwater, use it for cooking, shower in it, use it in sprinklers or eat anything grown in the ground.

The report is similar to the preliminary Ecological Risk assessment findings by AECOM in November last year, which could not draw full conclusions because the data was incomplete.

“The 2017 Stage 2C EI report was designed to address data gaps identified at the completion of the Stage 2C 2016 EI studies,” the report said.

Shine Lawyers’ Peter Shannon, who is organising a class-action lawsuit for more than 400 residents against the department, said the results cast more doubt on the situation.

“It probably adds to the concern and that those data gaps reinforced the limited exposure point, which only adds to perplexing land owners,” he said.

AECOM also submitted an environmental report yesterday.