By Alesha Capone
POTENTIALLY contaminated soil could be endangering residents who live near a former quarry site within the Maribyrnong municipality, according to an alarming Victorian Auditor-General report.
The report – which did not identify the location of the site – said residents have not been informed of the potential health impacts arising from the possibly contaminated soil they live upon.
The report, released last week, used “site E” as a case study to represent the procedural flaws of managing hazardous sites within the Maribyrnong, Brimbank and Yarra council areas.
The report said site E was now a reserve – with two recreation centres, used for outside school care and by elderly people – with homes on its border.
The Auditor-General expressed concern that “contaminated soils were spread beyond the footprint of the quarry hole” during the site’s redevelopment.
“As a consequence, a number of the neighbouring properties may be located on contaminated soil that potentially poses a health risk to the residents of those properties,” the report said.
Maribyrnong City Council is undertaking a stage 1 environmental assessment of the area, as a part of a redevelopment proposal.
But the report said “the extent of contamination is only known to Maribyrnong City Council”.
“There has been no communication with property owners whose houses are located on the footprint of the old quarry, surrounding residents, or users of the recreation centres,” the document said.
The report also contained another case study – “site A” – located in Maribyrnong, where 22 homes surround another former quarry site, contaminated with fuel burning byproducts.
The report said 12 properties at the site “have contamination levels that pose a potential health risk to children due to the contaminant levels exceeding recommended criteria, while a further four properties pose an actual risk because of children residing at these properties”.
The Auditor-General concluded the site had been the subject of “significant mismanagement” but said after 17 years, the council and EPA have begun to collaborate to manage the spot.
Star asked the council to name these two sites – media speculation last week suggested ‘site A’ was Leigh St in Footscray – but did not get an answer by deadline.
However, the council’s CEO Vince Haining said within the 32 square kilometres of the municipality there were 89 former quarry sites.
He said at Site E, an environmental assessment would “determine what remediation work, if any, needs to occur at the site” and “any communication with surrounding residents will occur once the nature of the remediation work is known.”
