A BALLARAT firefighter has called for the CFA Fiskville training ground to remain closed until the breadth of contamination is determined, but has stopped short of calling for indefinite closure.
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The CFA announced on Monday night the training facility had been closed temporarily after chemical residues were detected in large tanks used to store mains water for firefighter training.
United Firefighters Union member Brenton Smith said he was shocked as a CFA member who drank, bathed and cooked with possibly contaminated water at the site.
“Basically I lived there for four months in 2007, I’ve been back several times a year since,” Mr Smith said.
“I’ve got a young family and obviously I’ve got a lot of life to live so we don’t want to cut that short.”
On Tuesday, Minister for Emergency Services Jane Garrett said it would be “surprising” if the training college was reopened.
Premier Daniel Andrews said there were “real uncertainties” surrounding the closure and that jobs could be moved within the CFA.
“Fiskville is closed and that’s the right call to make,” Mr Andrews said.
“We don’t want to put any staff at any risk whatsoever.
“There are real uncertainties about the future of Fiskville.
“I know there will be significant inconvenience for staff who work there now, but there will be overwhelming support for us to have closed Fiskville for the time being.”
Fiskville has been plagued with occupational health and safety debacles in recent years after reports that a cancer cluster had emerged at the site because of exposure to toxic chemicals.
A parliamentary inquiry into the cancer cluster at the site announced in January could investigate the latest revelations, Mr Andrews said.
“I think that the terms of reference of this inquiry could cover that off; it is very broad and these issues of safety have been around far too long, it’s been far too secretive,” he said.
CFA chief executive Michael Wootten said further testing of all water, including drinking water, would be conducted at Fiskville over coming days.
The residues from firefighting foams used until 2007 contain PFOS, a type of perfluoro chemical found in everyday products such as make-up, shaving cream and paper packaging.
“As a precaution, the only prudent course of action is to suspend all operations until further testing is completed and the results delivered,” Mr Wootten said.
“However, the strong advice from one of Australia’s pre-eminent toxicologists is that any risk to the health of people at Fiskville is likely to be very low.”
Mr Wootten said the toxicologist would prepare an assessment of the likely health risk over coming days.
david.jeans@fairfaxmedia.com.au
