Concerns expressed by the United Firefighters’ Union and many others about the uncertainties surrounding the use and residual effects of polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in the ACT and beyond continue to grow.
The latest story in the Canberra Times of 26 June 2018 reports on confusion within the Emergency Services Agency about whether fire fighting trucks carry extinguishers with the toxic PFAS foam, with agency head Dominic Lane suggesting on 25 June they do and ACT Fire & Rescue said to be ‘backtracking’ on this claim.
Meanwhile, reports of the potentially harmful effects of the chemical contaminants found in fire-fighting foam continue to surface, such as in the United States and in Victoria’s Gippsland region.
Previously the Canberra Times, on 17 June, reported on concerns that “contamination from toxic chemicals was discovered at the former Charnwood fire station before the ACT government netted $2 million by re-zoning the land and selling it to become a child care centre.”