By Benjamin Millar
Residents living near the site of the toxic Tottenham chemical fire have lashed out at authorities for their failure to reveal up to 10 million litres of residual chemicals has been left exposed at the site for more than a year.
Taxpayers may also be forced to pick up the bill to clean up the site of the 14,000 square metre fire, which was fuelled by an illegally dumped chemical cocktail of toxic waste and scrap metal.
Environment Protection Authority Victoria confirmed on Monday that up to 10 million litres of residual chemicals, including dangerous goods, have remained on the site for almost 14 months since the fire – enough to fill four Olympic-sized swimming pools.
In a joint statement with WorkSafe, EPA said of an estimated 7-15 million cubic metres of waste to be cleaned up, around 7-10 million litres are estimated to be residual chemicals such as aerosols, solvents and paint residues.
Security guards have been posted to the site while authorities attempt to force the site owner and occupier to clean up the chemical waste pile.
“WorkSafe and EPA continue to work closely with all other relevant authorities in regulating the clean up,” the statement said.
“Community safety and protection of Stony Creek remains the priority.”
But residents living as close as 800 metres from the fire site are asking why they have been left in the dark for more than a year regarding the vast quantities of unburnt toxic chemicals remaining exposed at the site.
Chris Kennett, who lives near the site, said the fire has had a dramatic impact on the physical and mental health of people living in the vicinity and along the Stony Creek corridor.
He said there is immense frustration that no charges have been laid or even fines issued over the suspicious fire, which spewed black smoke over the western suburbs and burnt for almost a week.
“More than a year later the creek is still dead, we keep our children indoors – a great crime has been done upon our community and no one has been punished,” he said.
“There are so many furious and scared people around here that have been ignored by the authorities and it’s going to come to a head.”
Some children are still reported to be suffering nosebleeds after rain, while respiratory problems and headaches are continuing to afflict people living in the vicinity.
Firefighters who battled the blaze have suffered a range of career-threatening ill effects including nose bleeds, sore eyes, severe headaches and rashes, as well as exhaustion and memory loss.
Sue Vittori, chair of the Anti-Toxic Waste Alliance, said the delays in informing the community and securing the site have been unacceptable.
“As a community we are feeling that there is no sense of urgency, there needs to a far more serious response,” she said.
“We feel like we have been kept in the dark – it’s appalling and a classic example yet again that there is not an adequate emergency response.”
Ms Vittori said the nature and volume of the chemicals remaining on site raised alarm bells over the lack of security in place until recent weeks.
While the joint statement fails to explain the delay in providing an update on the chemical waste left on the site, EPA has responded to questions on social media by stating “it was necessary to ensure that the site was managed appropriately and that there was safe access prior to investigation and evaluation”.
Authorities are continuing to investigate the role of former warehouse tenant Graham Leslie White in moving millions of litres of toxic waste into the warehouse in the weeks ahead of the blaze.
White has been linked with at least a dozen other illicit chemical stockpiles around the state, including more than 80 million litres discovered in warehouses scattered across Melbourne’s north and buried on a property in western Victoria.
Star Weekly reported in August that site owner Christopher James Baldwin, via his company Danbol Pty Ltd, has been ordered to remove all high risk chemical waste from the site within 12 months.
EPA and WorkCover repeated on Monday that waste and chemicals must be removed from the site by August 2020.
“The owner is required to provide a clean-up plan by February 2020 to meet the August 2020 clean up deadline,” they stated.
“Both agencies are pursuing regulatory investigations and will hold those responsible to account with the full force of the law.”
They said the government may be forced to step in if the duty holder fails to fulfil its obligations to clean up the site.
Footscray MP Katie Hall has requested a community meeting be organised for later this week where residents can ask the relevant authorities questions about the Tottenham fire site.
“I think it’s important everyone has the opportunity to be briefed on the clean up process and timeline,” she said.
