Coalition for PFAS awareness
Group aims to unite communities
A NEW national coalition has been launched to bring communities impacted by the toxic chemical PFAS, found in fire fighting foam, together.
Oakey cattle farmer Dianne Priddle, who said her asset base had been severely impacted by the Oakey contamination case, said she was proud to be a part of the new group, called Coalition Against PFAS.
“We as a coalition aim to advocate for communities impacted by PFAS, to inform people that are faced with this issue around Australia and to provide support for that network we are hoping will be formed,” Ms Priddle said.
Ms Priddle said the coalition’s website would also bring together the latest scientific information from right around the world.
“What happened in Oakey, Williamstown and Katherine, to find out the latest informa- tion in science that was available we had to look to Europe and the United States as all assessments here in Australia were using outdated science,” she said.
“We have to start to use the latest science because communities like ours have got to understand what is going on.
“If we don’t have something like this, I will be dead before this is all sorted out. It’s the only thing we’ve got going for us now. Australians in these communities, that by no fault of our own, have been forced to endure these messes.”
Oakey was the first Australian community in 2013 to be told its groundwater had been contaminated by PFAS after a leak from the Oakey Army Aviation Centre.
Since then it has been revealed there are 90 areas in Australia impacted by PFAS contamination.
For more information on Coalition Against PFAS visit cappfas.com.