McLaren Vale producers protest PFAS waste plan

Southern Waste ResourceCo applied for EPA approval in February to receive, store, treat and dispose of waste contaminated with PFAS substances at its McLaren Vale landfill site and has been met with major public backlash as the application process drags on.

More than 350 people voiced their displeasure at a community forum held in McLaren Vale recently, while Onkaparinga Council and the McLaren Vale Grape, Wine and Tourism Association have made it clear they oppose the plan.

PFAS substances have previously been used in firefighting foams, with a study in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health finding their most-studied compounds exhibit up to "five key carcinogenic characteristics".

SA banned potentially hazardous fluorinated firefighting foams in early 2018.

"SWR's proposal presents significant, unacceptable and unnecessary risk to our state and region's reputation and economic growth, as well as to our region's environmental and human health," MVGWTA general manager Jennifer Lynch said.

"MVGWTA formally opposes the approval sought and urges the EPA to reject SWR's proposal."

McCarthy Orchards produces wine and cider and grows a huge variety of fruit at its McLaren Vale property, with owner Lisa McCarthy concerned about the consequences of possible contamination from PFAS material.

"We're really concerned because we rely on bore water," she said.

"The groundwater beneath us is what keeps our farm going and if that were to get contaminated, it would be pretty devastating.

"Everything we do is grown by us, made by us, sold by us, so if the water was contaminated and our crops were contaminated that would be the end of us.

"That waste is the last thing we need in an area like this."

Mrs McCarthy said she also feared for the region's reputation as a clean and green food and wine haven, as well as consequent impacts on tourism.

"People come here to escape the city and want to be in a clean and green space so to ruin that would be really stupid," she said.

"Unfortunately as humans we have to find places to put waste. We've done some dumb things in the past and I hope we can make some better decisions moving forward.

"One of those would be to put waste like that away from water sources that humans and animals rely on, and away from where large amounts of people live.

"No land should have to deal with this being dumped, but if we have to put it somewhere it needs to be away from food and water sources, people and animals."

Member for Mawson Leon Bignell said the impact of having such waste stored at McLaren Vale could be catastrophic to the region's wine, food and tourism sector.

"Tourism and wine combined are worth $850 million a year to our local area so it would be scary if we were to get this into our soils and water supply, because you would just kiss that industry goodbye," he said.

"There's hundreds of companies and thousands of jobs at stake here. The economic damage would be bad, but the health affects would be just as bad."

Mr Bignell has introduced a bill into Parliament, which would ban the dumping of PFAS anywhere in the metropolitan area, anywhere within five kilometres of a town in regional SA and anywhere within 50km of primary production land.

Submissions from surrounding residents and community members will be considered by the Environment Protection Agency's SA branch in assessing a proposal to store PFAS substances at a landfill site in McLaren Vale.

In a statement, the EPA said community concerns were important and the agency was taking the time to understand concerns and explain the assessment process to community members.

"There are strict criteria around the disposal of PFAS-contaminated waste and landfill operators must demonstrate they have appropriate mechanisms and engineering in place for testing, handling and disposal," the statement said.

"In SA, PFAS-contaminated waste is only permitted to be disposed in specially-engineered landfills with a single or double composite lining system. The cell that SWR proposes to use has a double composite lining that consists of four layers of protective barriers."

In a statement, SWR said the disposal cell would not be solely dedicated to PFAS waste, with less than 5 per cent of waste expected to contain low-level PFAS contamination.

"The cell has a double composite liner, which includes numerous layers and barrier systems to provide environmental safeguards for the protection of groundwater resources in and around the surrounding area," the statement said.

"The cell's barrier layers are designed to capture and contain any liquids generated from the waste.

"The design and construction of the containment cell ensures all waste, including that containing PFAS, can be received, handled and stored in a safe and sustainable manner."

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