TestSafe has investigated potential per-and-poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) contamination stemming from the historical use of fire-fighting foams at their Londonderry facility.
Investigations have identified PFAS compounds both on- and off-site at the Londonderry facility. The detection of PFAS in the environment is not unexpected given the past use of PFAS-containing fire-fighting foams at the site. PFAS has also been used in many domestic and industrial products and background levels may be present from these other sources.
Residents of downstream properties have been supplied with tailored precautionary dietary advice. This advice does not apply to the wider Londonderry community.
TestSafe has constructed a new retention dam to capture any surface water from the PFAS impacted fire-fighting training ground to minimise the amount of run-off from the site.
TestSafe has also altered processes on site to reduce the likelihood of additional PFAS entering the environment. Ongoing surface and groundwater monitoring, both on and off site, will help determine if these activities are helping to reduce PFAS concentrations. TestSafe will provide the results of this monitoring to the NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA) for review and will keep the local community informed of any developments.
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