Question marks over Fiskville

IN REPLY to your article (“Fiskville closed for good – good, says Mick”, Mail, 7 April) I wish to advise the following:
It was noted in the Golder Associates assessment of Fiskville in 2012 that there is inadequate information on PFOS to consider the chemical to be genotoxic and/or a carcinogen (Golder Associates, 2012, page 13).
In 2010, consultants Wynsafe tested for PFOS and PFOA residues in the primary pump and in dam two at Fiskville.
The levels detected were also above the drinking water criteria, their report concluded “…it can be shown that the estimated exposures will produce daily intakes several hundred times lower than the recommended Tolerable Daily Intake (TDI) for both PFOS and PFOA even based on the highest result” (Joy, 2012, page 84).
This highlights that there have always been some high readings of PFOS at the college, but that is was deemed safe by toxicologists to continue using as a training ground.
The current MFB complex at Burnley was built on a known toxic dump (ABC Stateline, 2008).
The MFB was forced to clean up the site by the then Labor Government and the UFU.
Why isn’t the Andrews Government and the UFU demanding the same action from the CFA?
Remediation work was already underway at Fiskville with the completion of stage one.
Fiskville has to be remediated regardless of whether it is open or closed.
Fiskville is the largest employer in the Ballan area, employing 60 families and injecting $250,000 into the local economy per annum.
It also provides vital and specialist training to both CFA career staff and volunteer firefighters.
Finally, I’d also like to mention that with the Parliamentary Inquiry, I also question why the site was permanently closed before the inquiry had begun.
I support the need for fair compensation for those that are or have suffered cancer as a proven result of Fiskville.
Fiskville is invaluable to the local community and the functioning of CFA.
Ian Ireland, Third Lieutenant,
Ballan Fire Brigade.