By Alesha Capone
A SECOND report into the controversial Tullamarine Landfill has concluded the number of people with cancer, who live within four kilometres of the site, is normal.
The Environment Protection Authority’s ‘Tullamarine Landfill Community Air Monitoring Program – Report Two’ was released last week.
The former landfill site is located in Western Avenue, Westmeadows and operated by Transpacific Industries Group, which is responsible for rehabilitating the spot.
“The cancer incidence for people within four kilometres of the Tullamarine Landfill is no higher than expected cancer rates elsewhere, where the population has a similar age and sex structure,” the EPA report said.
The EPA said “the second quarterly air report shows a very similar picture to the first report” into the site, which was released earlier this year.
Since February, the EPA has been monitoring five sites for almost 40 compounds in the vicinity of the closed landfill, after community concerns “about potential health effects arising from exposure to pollutants coming from the landfill”.
“The bulk of substances monitored were below detectable limits and for those substances that did register, they were at levels less than the air quality guidelines,” an EPA spokesperson said.
The EPA project began after residents and the Terminate Tulla Toxic Dump Action Group (TTTDAG) last year raised concerns the former landfill could have caused cancer and 74 deaths in nearby residents since 1995.
TTTDAG said these cancer deaths were four times higher than the rate experienced by the rest of Broadmeadows.
However, the latest EPA study disagreed.
“Modelling of past and present emissions from the landfill reveals levels of benzene, vinyl chloride and
trichloroethylene in the air around the landfill,” the EPA report said.
“The concentrations in residential areas are very low and the impact on the health of the community is too low to be detected.
“For all substances that were at measurable levels, they were all less than the relevant air quality standards.”
Hume City Council CEO Domenic Isola said the council “actively encourages the EPA to undertake its obligations as the environmental watch-dog to ensure effective post-closure rehabilitation”.
“We will continue to advocate to the State Government on behalf of residents regarding the rehabilitation of the Tullamarine Landfill,” he said.
