By Keith Platt and Liz Bell
THE movement of suspected carcinogenic chemicals known as forever chemicals continues to be tracked at HMAS Cerberus, Crib Point. The Health Department says there is no “consistent evidence” that exposure to per- and poly- fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) causes adverse human health effects but warns that their release into the environment “is an emerging concern” as they can accumulate in animals and people.
The Australian Defence Force says that while monitoring at HMAS Cerberus had found “no significant changes to how PFAS is moving in the management area”, remedial works were expected to reduce PFAS from leaving the base. The remediation of soil and the building of an engineered containment cell at the naval base’s fire training area began in 2021 and was completed last year. The chemicals, which are also used in household items including clothing, sunscreen and cosmetics, have been found in tap water and even sea spray.
The Mornington Peninsula-based Clean Ocean Foundation says the presence of PFAS in sea water has led scientists in Europe to warn about the dangers of “marine recreation and coastal agriculture”. As a result, the European Union plans to upgrade all ocean outfalls to “zero pollution … [while] Australia has no such plans to upgrade its outfalls”. Clean Ocean defines zero pollution as no PFAS (forever chemicals); no microplastics; no other micropollutants; no nutrients; and no pathogens.
A community information session is being held this week (Wednesday 19 June) to provide an update on the remediation, management and ongoing monitoring of PFAS on and around HMAS Cerberus. The session will give people a chance to hear the latest on PFAS remediation and management by the defence department, ongoing monitoring and future steps for the program at HMAS Cerberus.
PFAS, a group of more than 4000 chemicals known for resisting heat, stains, grease and water, has been used in manufacturing and fire fighting foams around the world, including at some ADF and CFA training sites. In October 2018, detailed investigations of PFAS contamination on and around HMAS Cerberus found that they were mostly concentrated in areas where firefighting foams had been used, stored or disposed, with the contamination found in soil and water.
Data available on the ADF website states that the investigations found the PFAS contamination from HMAS Cerberus had a “low exposure” risk to human health. However, the department was tracking how and where the chemicals were moving on and from the base to determine whether more remediation action is required.
In Queensland in 2019 it was revealed that more than 60 Defence sites were believed to be contaminated by PFAS, prompting American activist Brockovich to urge “all levels of government in Australia” to act swiftly to prevent the spread of PFAS chemical contamination.
Brockovich said at the time that Australia was “behind” in dealing with the PFAS issue. She assisted Australian lawyers launch a class action against the federal government, which in May 2023 was ordered to pay a $132 million settlement to 30,000 landowners exposed to PFAS chemicals that had leaked from seven Australian military bases.
Apart from fire fighting foam, PFAS has been used for decades in the aerospace, automotive, construction, and electronics industries.
When people or animals are exposed to some PFAS chemicals through eating or using contaminated products, the levels can build up in the blood, however, there is ongoing debate over its effects. While products containing PFAS are being phased out around the world, a federal government fact sheet states that “most people living in Australia will have detectable levels of PFAS in their blood” from exposure from sources such as food packaging, non-stick cookware and stain protection applications for fabrics and carpets.
“While we know these chemicals can persist in humans, animals and the environment, there is currently limited understanding of the human health effects of long-term PFAS exposure,” the fact sheet states. “Therefore, as a precaution, governments in Australia recommend that exposure be reduced wherever possible while research into any potential health effects continues.”
The federal government has banned the import, use and manufacture of some of the more prominent types of PFAS from 1 July 2025.
To register for the HMAS Cerberus information session at Hastings Community Hub, 1973 Frankston Flinders Road, from 5.30pm to 7.30pm, go to pfas.enquiry@defence.gov.au
First published in the Mornington News – 18th June 2024
