East Narangba Community Action Group

GPO Box 89
Kallangur 4503
Ph. 3888 5287 Fax 3888 8218

Promoting a Better Environment for Our Families
and Future Generations

Notes of Meeting Held Thursday 29th June, 2005 at 2pm (Taken by Community Member)

Meeting held on 12th Floor Executive Building

Attendance: Stuart Booker, Steve Keating, Bob McDonald, Joan or Janet, Alison Bamberry, Les Bevis (EPA), S Neville (Qld Health), S Dwyer (Qld Health), R Carlysle, G Nash, A Deagon, M Logan (Fire Services), Fran , Barry, Di &

Stuart Booker opened meeting asking id any legal person was present, meeting to be held without prejudice and with a spirit of openness. If requested Government will give media same objective information.
Premiers’ promises restated briefly:
1.engaging and following up with community
2.release of Fire Services Report
3.Follow-up meetings to be held fortnightly
4.EPA water quality results on website by Friday 30/6
5.EPA to secure site, fenced & security present
Fran was asked if she had brought EIS 1995 – Fran offered to courier it in.
Stuart – more detailed discussion and supply more info to us, will share info as long as it takes

Mike (Fire Services)
Explain dioxins
Class C O Cl
200 sorts – different toxicities
2,4D breaks down – some dioxins
2,4D burns to give other products which may release dioxins
4 dioxins believed in 2,4D
2,4D – burns, breaks down – single of double Chl dioxins
Dioxins don’t survive at temperatures of 8000 but fire may not have been 8000 all over.

Compare dioxins 2,4T – four chlorine dioxins
2,4D doesn’t – hasn’t been shown to create it
BUT other chemicals – sister compounds of 2,4D NCPA – dioxin similar

Measurement of dioxins? No machine

No evidence of long term effects

Les Bevis:
Tested for dioxins
Values in sediments slightly above urban industrial area across Australia
Sampled 1 kilometre from Binary – no results yet
Levels not found at Homebush levels
Health Watch
don’t know
scientific squad was not put on health alert

Dr Gerard Neville
Dioxins
many dioxin-like compounds
75 ways PCDDS (dioxins)
135 ways PCDFs (furans)
Chlorine
dibenzo-p-dioxin

Dioxin Exposure
sufficient exposure to cause harm
>95% through diet for general population – mainly thru foods of animal origin eg meat, dairy, fish
Tolerable monthly intake – deemed to be without risk
70 picograms TEQ/kilogram body weight (millionth of millionth of gram)
Based on lifetime exposure
Chronic toxins
70kg 4900TEQ/Mt
Australian food survey shows dietary intake lower than other country.
Australian monthly intake estimated@ 3.7 – 15.6pg TEQ/kg

TEQs – widely varying toxicity
WHO TEF (toxicity equivalency factors)
1.0for 2,3,7,8 TCDD is highest
2.00.0001 for OCDD amongst lowest (1/10,000 of toxicity less than highest)
Widely varying toxicity

Mass of dioxin x TEF = TEQ
.3pg/g 2.3.7.8 TCDD x 1.0 = 3pg/g TEQ
.500pg/g OCDD x 0.0001 = 0.05pg/g TEQ

Sum of individual TEQs = Total TEQ
Example of above is 3 + 0.05 = 3.05pg/TEQ/g

2,3,7,8 TCDD
The most studied dioxin
Associated with Agent Orange via contamination of 2,4,5T during the manufacture
Confirmed human carcinogen IARC (WHO) and other agencies
Others are not confirmed carcinogens maybe but not known

Health Effects:

Chloracne
Clinically unusual and rare
Needs high exposure – typically acute
May disappear after exposure ceases
Would expect to be reported
Rare, unusual skin disorder

Cancer
From 2,3,7,8 TCDD
Positive studies involved high level long term exposure
Magnitude of ? generally low
Highest in most highly exposed workers
Does not cause DNA damage
Not a mutagen
Relative risk for all cancers in long term highly exposes workers 1.4
General population exposure is 100s – 1000s time lower than occupationally exposed
No evidence of causing cancer typically community level exposure

Conclusion
Not considered a dioxin incident
From exposure perspective, the fire was a short term event
Not considered there was significant exposure generally from the fire, let alone significant 2,3,7,8 TCDD exposure
No evidence to indicate this event is causing harm to healthy of community due to dioxins

Results
Dioxins found in testing of sediments – pond @ .5 …. Of 500p/g OCDD x 0.0001=0.05pgTEQ
FOUND 13?17
Reference: National Study of Urban Soils
Tests done in middle March – claim that dioxins are persistent chemical

Fran:
Fire was the catalyst – emissions from the Estate is worrying - Symptoms from dioxins long term ? cancer

Barry:
Can they decrease/break down?
Answer given: persistent and don’t show a dramatic decrease, have a half life in the body of 7 years.

Fran:
Dioxins on leaf matter?
Answer given: Probably – but eventually find there was to soil

Fran:
Cumulative effect of dioxins?
Answer: Exposure higher in chemical industry

Les
Clean up – significant treatment – containment – 4 ponds
15microgrs/litre ?sewerage system

Profile testing for sediments then biomediate it – remediation – cater for 1:10 year flood – revert to prior to fire

Buffer zone behind chemical factory? 30 metres. Is that enough
Time period for total remediation? Heavy rains?

Transfer to treatment ponds – deal with prior to wet season.
Security & fencing as best as possible.

Graham : Property Values

Maps are at least 2 months old – trends in sales will be monitored. Property values recorded after fire but no figures since information appeared in the newspaper

SEQ – urban Development Plan – high density development
No current government plans for industry but some private land

Sophie: Future Action

Health Impact Assessment
Look at long term health effects
Talking with community
Nest stage – studies more comprehensive
Structure around information received
Technical process – look at data
Commission studies together
Comment by public
Look at issues that need to be managed
Quickly or properly?
How study will be done – public
Capture ideas first
Manager
Community worker
What has been identified
Longer term than fire
Why are QH accessing medical files?
If impact assessment on people by symptom – to understand what cause may be – what Dr found, what tests, what referral to specialists.
Concept: exposure has caused illnesses/disease – what has been diagnosed, found or excluded.
Pathology excludes to find what is

Survey of Drs – Burpengary to Kallangur
Didn’t know about the NIE
100% don’t know what type of industry is in that estate
Consequently no testing
Eg. Formaldehyde – no tests for residue only history & assessment of patient
History of patient – smell, odour comes over
Structured approach/normal methodology
Di: What area will be covered for the assessment?
Answer: Looking for patterns

Les – EPA Site management strategy
Whole of Government audit of dangerous goods
Report being prepares
Led by Caboolture Shire Council
Expanding to hazard chemicals

Compliance audits by EPA – proactive - thoroughly reviewed beyond the normal
Best practice
Risk issues – to reduce
Bunding
Reduce likelihood of events
Transitional arrangements
Hastening search for land for location of hazardous industry
Deal more effectively long term – away from urban areas – investigation just begun

Fran:
What about Steritech – no security – bomb on truck could cause disaster
Fire Services stated:
Establish safe areas/unsafe/dangerous
Equipment to measure radiation
Boundary at where it is unsafe
Appropriate gear/robot

Di
What is new? For 8 years we have raised the same issues that the community has aired, that have been in the paper at the NIERG.
Compliance audits and best practices have been in the estate for 8 years and did not prevent the fire and other spills. We are not being told anything new – just the same old thing.

Woman:
We are moving forward – not looking back. Future discussions

Meeting closed about 4pm.