Global Toxicity

7/29/2019 Global Toxicity

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GlobalToxicity:ChemicalsA

WorldwideNightmare(HighlightingtheCastlereaghWasteManagementCentreandits

ImpactonLondonderry,Sydney)

By

MurrayS.

Thompson

BAppSciEnvironmentalHealthwithDistinction1998;HonsISocialEcology1999

UniversityofWesternSydney


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Coverphoto:CastlereaghWasteManagement

CentrebyStephenPaulDawe

To

Whatsleftofthenaturalenvironment,

AndaRenaissanceinunlearning

Thisdocumentiscopyrightedunderthetitle:GLOBALTOXICITY:CHEMICALSA

WORLDWIDENIGHTMARE(HIGHLIGHTINGTHECASTLEREAGHWASTEMANAGEMENTCENTREANDITSIMPACTONLONDONDERRY, SYDNEY)

SecondEditionISBN0646238019ByMurrayS.ThompsonCopyright1998byMurray

S.Thompson. Allrightsreserved. Thisbookisprotectedbycopyright. Nopartofit

(otherthanfairuseforstudentassignmentsandreviews)maybereproduced,storedina

retrievalsystem,ortransmittedinanyformorbyanymeans,electronic,mechanical,

photocopying,scanning,recording,orotherwise,withoutwrittenpermissionfromthe

publisher.

Publishedby

Murray

S.

Thompson

MCSvictims:Becomeanaffiliateofthiscompany
http://www.healthyworldaffiliates.com/1628http://www.healthyworldaffiliates.com/1628http://www.healthyworldaffiliates.com/1628http://www.healthyworldaffiliates.com/1628http://www.healthyworldaffiliates.com/1628http://www.healthyworldaffiliates.com/1628http://www.healthyworldaffiliates.com/1628http://www.healthyworldaffiliates.com/1628http://www.healthyworldaffiliates.com/1628http://www.healthyworldaffiliates.com/1628http://www.healthyworldaffiliates.com/1628http://www.healthyworldaffiliates.com/1628http://www.healthyworldaffiliates.com/1628http://www.healthyworldaffiliates.com/1628http://www.healthyworldaffiliates.com/1628http://www.sitesell.com/poisonedpeople.htmlhttp://www.healthyworldaffiliates.com/1628http://www.sitesell.com/poisonedpeople.htmlhttp://www.healthyworldaffiliates.com/1628


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Preamble

Please note that I use spelling throughout this document (excepting for quotes) in accordance with The

Heritage IllustratedDictionaryoftheEnglishLanguage, InternationalEdition(AmericanHeritagePublishing

Co.,Inc.1975).

Thismeans,necessarily,thatIuseAmericanspelling,notEnglish/Australian.

Acknowledgements

VariousstaffandstudentsattheUniversityofWesternSydneyHawkesbury,andotherindividualshave

provided valuable assistance toward the furtherance of this ongoing study. This assistance has been

providedintheformoffieldwork,thehighlypracticalarenawhereimportantsoilandwatersamplesare

gathered. Also,waterand soil tests in theUniversity laboratorieshaveadded valuabledataover the

years. Inotherareas,privatecitizenshavepartakenininterviews,andofferedopportunitiesforsoiland

watertesting. Withoutthesemanyparticipants,noharddataorfirsthandinformationcouldhavebeen

effectivelygarneredtobeusedasthebasisforanalyses.

In1995,agriculturestudentsparticipatinginmanyoftheabovecontributionswere:JoanneAdams,Rachel

Austin,LeahdeGlas,andErinShonk. FacultyofAgriculture(nowFacultyofEnvironmentalManagement

andAgriculture) staffmember and Senior TechnicalOfficer,Mark Emanuel,was particularly helpful in

1995withregardtothewatertestsperformedrevealingunusuallevelsofsodiumchlorideandlowrange

phosphorus.

In1996, thestudentswhoprovidedvaluableassistance (noted specifically throughout theassignment),

were: Stephen Paul Dawe and Shahrooz Nouri. Science and Technology staff members Sharon

Birmingham(SeniorTechnicalOfficer),SueCusbert(TechnicalOfficer)andSharonArmstrong(Laboratory

Technician), were exceedingly helpful with regard to soil and water testing (also noted specifically

throughout),particularlyborewaterheavymetalstests.

FurtherthanksgotoAlanmillsandMarianStreicher.

Mygratefulthankstoallconcerned.


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PREFACE

Thisassignment isbasedonanongoing studyofa significant local issue, thisbeingtheoperationoftheCastlereaghLiquidWasteDisposalDepot(locatedin

Londonderry/BerkshirePark,onthenorthwestedgeofSydney,Australia).

During1995,whenstudyingSystemsAgricultureatthisUniversity,Ibecameawareofthevolatilenature

ofthisenvironmental,agricultural,communityandpoliticalissue. Theissuecentersonaconsiderablelist

ofalleged

problems

associated

with

the

waste

dump.

These

problems

have

been

described

(by

landholderslivingaroundthewastedepot,themedia,studentandprofessionalscienceresearch)interms

of pollution leachatemoving onto properties surrounding the dump. From the perspective of local

landholders,extraordinaryand disturbingoccurrences on their properties relate to toxiceffectsarising

fromliquidwaste. Inthemindsofmanyinthecommunitysurroundingthedump(includingresidentsin

nonaffected areas), the source of the chemical pollution is the Castlereagh dump located

geographicallyatthecenteroftheaffectedproperties.
http://workfromhome.sitesell.com/poisonedpeople.htmlhttps://alkaway.infusionsoft.com/go/alro/MurrayTh/


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CONTENTS(pagenumbersareapproximateonly,asthisworkhasbeenchangedelectronically/digitallyovertime)

ExecutiveSummary 1

1. DescriptionoftheProject/Program 2HISTORYOFWASTESITE 2

LocationandSetting 2

Chronology 2

CURRENTMANAGEMENTPRACTICES 3

LandfillManagement

4ConstructionofWasteCells 4

WaterManagement 4

LeachateControl,CollectionandDisposal 4

LandfillGasControl 5

PremisesAssociatedWithManagementPractices 5

TheSafetyPremise 5

ProblemswithPremise 5

ENVIRONMENTALANDHUMANHEALTHSTUDIES 6

HumanHealth 6

AnimalandSoilHealth 6

2.ImpactsoftheLanduseProjectontheEnvironment

andPolitics 7

Introduction

7

ImpactsDiscussion 7DIRECT,NEGATIVEIMPACTONLOCALLANDUSE 7

UNSAFEENVIRONMENTFORRESIDENTS 8

SAFEGUARDS? 8

ISSUEIMPACTONPOLITICSGOVERNMENTRESPONSE 8

CallsforInquiryandContradictoryTestResults 8

HandicappedInquiry 9

CommunityMonitoringCommitteeandHumanHealthStudy 9

LOCALANDINTERNATIONALENVIRONMENTGROUPS 10

RAGE 10

GreenpeaceandGeology 11

INDICATORSOFSEVEREGROUNDWATERPOLLUTION 12

HUMAN/ANIMAL/PLANTPHYSIOLOGICPOISONINGNEARDEPOT:Part1 12

HumanHealth 12

Animaland

Soil

Health

13

Soil 13

Animal 14

HUMAN/ANIMAL/PLANTPHYSIOLOGICPOISONINGNEARDEPOT:Part2 14

TestLocation:AnanonymousPropertyinLondonderry 14

GeneralResultsfromConversation 15

PhysiologicPoisoning(1995)HumanandAnimal 15

Physiological(1996)Human 15

1996BoreWaterTests 16

GENERALSYNTHESISOFAVAILABLEINFORMATION 16

HealthImplicationsofHeavyMetalsPoisoning 16

TABLE1RecommendedIntakeMinimaandMaximaand


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EstimatedBioavailabilityoftheElements 17

ChemicalToxicity:GeneralImpactonHumanHealth 17

Xenobiotics 17

ExposuretoChemicalsinDailyLife 18

WhichChemicals? 18

TheEffectsofToxicChemicalExposure 18

ToxicChemicalsatCastlereaghandExposureSymptoms 19

TABLE2HazardousChemicalsandExposureSymptoms 21

ChemicalToxicity:XenobioticPoisoningofLondonderryLandholders 22

GENERALSYNTHESISOFLABORATORYRESULTS 23

LaboratoryandPostFieldResultsSummaryforAllTests(1995/96) 23

TABLE3DetailedResults1995&1996TestsCombined 24

TABLE4.1SpecificResults 25

TABLE4.2ConcentrationsofHeavyMetals(ugg1drymatter)in

TheLithosphere,Soils&Plants 26

TABLE4.3MetalsinSoilsDerivedfromNormalandGeochemically

AnomalousParentMaterialinBritain 26

TABLE4.4MeanHeavyMetalContentsofMajorRockTypes(ug/g) 26

Comparisons&CalculatedResults 26TOTALENVIRONMENTCENTREINC.REPORTONWOODWARDCLYDE1994

STAGE2AUDIT 29

POTENTIALIMPACTSOFTIPCLOSUREONENVIRONMENT 30

ToxicWastesatLocalTips? 30

WasteDumpRemediation,ResidentCompensationandDisposal

Alternatives 30

LOCALSOLUTIONS? 31

ImpactsConclusion 31BROADERCONSIDERATIONS:FUTURESFORAGRICULTUREANDRURAL

DEVELOPMENT 32

3. PerformanceRating 33A. WASTEBURIALANDCHEMICALCONFINEMENTRATING 33

RatingforWasteBurialandChemicalConfinement 33

B. AUTHORITY/GOVERNMENTCONCERNRATING 33

RatingforAuthority/GovernmentConcern 34

4. TheWiderViewChemicalSafetyWorldwide 35STORAGEANDSAFETYOFCHEMICALSINSYDNEY 35

WORLDWIDETRENDOFCHEMICALIMPACTS 35

HistoricalToxicity 36

GlobalandPoliticalToxicity 37

ThePesticideDilemma 37

AMonumentalHealthandScientificDilemma 38

Requiem 39

5. Conclusion 40PRELIMINARYNOTE 40

DISCUSSION 40

HumanTrauma,Politics,MediaandCommunityEmpowerment 40


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AuthoritiesClaimsRefutedbyStudentDeterminations 40

TheFinalWord 41

6. Recommendations 43

7. ReflectiononStudy 44EXPECTEDOUTCOMES 44

CONCLUSIONSREACHED 44

POSSIBLEIMPROVEMENTS 44

REVIEWARRANGEMENTS 44

REFERENCES 46

APPENDICES

Appendix1 Maps/Photos/DiagramsofDepotSite

Appendix2Appendix2a

1.DepotEnvironsMap

2.LocationsofReportsofGroundwaterPollution

Appendix2b

AnonymousPropertySoil/WaterTestMap

AnonymousPropertyPhotos

Appendix3

Interviewsin

1995

Relating

to

the

Castlereagh

Depot

Appendix4 CommunityMonitoringCommittee(CMC)

Meeting,IncludingHumanHealthStudyReport

Appendix5 RAGENewslettersandMediaReleases

Appendix6 ListsofChemicalWastes

Appendix71.CopyofHeavyMetalsResultsPrintout

2.ChronologyandMethodforHeavyMetalsDeterminationsof

SoilsSourcedfromtheAnonymousProperty

Appendix81.SoilTestResultsfor1996

2.ChronologyandMethodforSoil/WaterCollectionandTests

Appendix9

Graphsfor

1995/96

Soil

&

Water

Tests

Appendix10A.TranscriptofFieldTripandInterviewwithMrAlanJones,

SupervisoroftheCastlereaghDepot

B.PhotosofCastlereaghDepot

Appendix11 PerformanceRatingScale&Definitions(Key)

Appendix12 ClosurePlanfortheCastlereaghDepot

Appendix13 Theory

Appendix14 Ethics


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GlobalToxicity:ChemicalsAWorldwide

Nightmare(HighlightingtheCastlereaghWasteManagement

CentreanditsImpactonLondonderry,Sydney)

ExecutiveSummary

TheCastlereagh

Liquid

Waste

Disposal

Depot

(or

the

Castlereagh

Waste

Management

Centre,

located

at

BerkshirePark)isdescribedasasecurelandfill,forthedisposalofindustrialliquidwastes[although]eightysix

percent of thewastes disposed are either solid or semisolid residues from the [Lidcombe LiquidWaste

Plant] (Waste Management Authority of NSW 1991:8,23). The Metropolitan Waste Disposal Authority

(MWDA) opened the CastlereaghDepot in 1974 to provide an interim solution for the disposal of liquid,

sludgeanddrummedindustrialwastesuntilaplannedtreatmentfacilityisdevelopedbytheAuthority(Waste

ManagementAuthorityofNSW1991:8).

Sitedisposalmethodscenteronthewastecell,thisbeinganearthencompartmentintowhichsolidorliquid

wastesaredischargedandcovered(WasteServiceNSW1995b:69). Thisformofwasteburialispremisedon

theassumedlowpermeabilityofLondonderryclay,whichassumptionshave,since1990,comeunderfirefrom

aconcernedpublic. Thishasresultedinextensivemediacoverage,thesettingupofaCommunityMonitoring

Committee (to provide community input), and the eventual announcement of the proposed closure of the

wastesite.

Alleged

negative

impacts

from

leaking

depot

waste

have

created

a

media

issue

of

considerable

political

and

socialproportions. Landholdersaroundthedepotsitefearthatleakingwasteisresponsibleforpollutingtheir

propertiesandgeneratinganimalandhumangeneticandsomaticdiseasesymptoms.

TheEnvironmentProtectionAuthority(EPA)hasmadeadmissionsofgroundwaterpollutionunderthedepot,

andboretestshaveconfirmedthepresenceofcontaminantsonandoffsite. However,WasteServiceNSW

continuestodenythatlocalenvironmentalproblemsrelatetothedepot. Thisissomewhatsurprisingwhen

modernresearchondiffusivepollutanttransport(Rowe1994)showsclearlythatclaylinersnotonlyleak,but

willdosoagainstanincomingflowofwaterintothecelldepository.

This studyhas examined thepollution issue firsthandbypooling soil andborewater test results from two

successiveyearsUniversityofWesternSydneyHawkesburystudent investigationofaproperty2km from

thewastedump. Theresultstendtoconfirmthatthepropertyissignificantlycontaminatedwithsubstances

as diverse as salt, phosphorus and heavy metals. Ill health (including heavy metal poisoning) in both

occupantsoftheproperty,supportstheclaimsofmanyresidentsaroundthewastesitethatchemicalwastes

areposingaseriousthreattothehealthandequityoflandowners,theirchildren,petsandlivestock. Indeed,

astudy

of

amajor

environmental

consulting

firms

groundwater

monitoring

results

and

toxicological

literature

researchconfirmsadecidedsynchronicitybetweentypesofwastesdisposedatthedepot,thoseleakingfrom

thedepot(asprovedbythegroundwaterresults)andmorbidsymptomsinaffectedresidents.

Thisreportrecommendsthatbettermethodsofwastedisposalbesoughtwithvigor(egincineration),thatfull

accountability for waste leakage and environmental degradation be made known to the public (and

appropriateprosecutiontakeplace),andthatgenerouscompensationforpropertydamageandhuman/animal

diseasecausedthroughthewasteleakagebeforthcoming.


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1. DescriptionoftheLanduseProgram

HISTORYOFWASTESITE

LocationandSetting

TheCastlereaghLiquidWasteDisposalDepot,situated7kmsouthwestofWindsor,wasoriginally8hainsizein

1974(Bender,WilmottandZuel,1990),buthasnowexpandedto350haplus(TotalEnvironmentCentreInc.

1996:1),withthisareaincludinga100habufferzone(Bender,WilmottandZuel,1990). Itisoperatedbythe

WasteService

(Hartcher

1994).

The

depot

is

bounded

by

the

Castlereagh

State

Forest

to

the

south,

the

suburbofBerkshireParktotheeast,the JohnMoroneyCorrectionalCentretothenorth,andthesuburbof

Londonderrytothewest.Thephysicalcharacteristicsofthedepotsurrounds indicatethattheareawasonce

extensivelytimbered. Ithas,inparts,evidenceofwetlands.

Waste management literature states that the current depot site was chosen because of the extent and

qualitiesoftheLondonderryClaywhichunderliesthesite(McCotter&Associates1993:6.5).

Chronology

OfficiallytheCastlereaghWasteDepotwasopenedbytheMetropolitanWasteDisposalAuthority(MWDA)in

1974. IthasbeensaidthattheDepartmentofMainRoadsformerlyexcavatedearthatthissitetobeusedas

roadbase. Thismayexplain theappearanceofearthworksonaerialphotographs takenbefore1974 (see

Appendix 1 forcopiesof thesephotos). However, ithasalsobeennoted that theearthworksmaybe the

resultofunrecordedwasteburialatthedepotsitebeforeitsofficialsanction(Luland,C.1995,pers.comm.26

April).

TheCastlereaghDepotoriginallyopenedasaninterimsolutiontomeetanurgentneedforanenvironmentally

acceptable disposal facility for Sydneys industrial liquid and sludgewastes only until permanent facilities

wereestablished(WasteServiceNSW1995b:23). In1988theAqueousWastePlant[was]constructed in

Auburnwhichcanconvertupto55,000tonnesof industrialwastes into liquidsuitable fordischargetothe

sewer. Asaresult,quantitiesofwasteneeding tobedirected toCastlereaghhavesignificantlydeclined

(WasteServiceNSW1991:9,10;1994:1,45;1995b:23).

Inthelate1980s,early1990s,thelocalcommunityofLondonderry(inparticular,landholdersnearthedepot)

began to report an increasing incidence of disease symptoms. Also of concernwas an apparent negative

impactupontheagriculturalviabilityandgeneralbiodiversityofthearea. Thecauseisconsidered,bysome,

tobechemicals leaching fromthe toxicwastesite. Reportsofbirthdefects,togetherwithoverahundred

allegedcasesofanimalandhumanhealthproblems,promptedWasteServiceNSWtocommenceconducting

EnvironmentalAudits(EA)(Hill,K.1995,pers.comm.,27February).

In1990,asaresultofthispublicconcern,theMartynReport,recommendedthecurrentenvironmentalaudit

process [and] in1992the CastlereaghActionPlanwasestablishedso thattheenvironmentalauditprocess

couldbe complimentedby theother investigations. These include thehumanhealth,animalhealth,plant

andwildlifecomponents(Williams&Jalaludin1993:i).

In1992,anenvironmentalStageIAuditoftheCastlereaghDepotwasundertakenfortheNewSouthWales

EPA[whichledtoa]StageIIAuditprogram[thepurposeofwhich]wastoobtainanaccurateassessmentofthe

currentenvironmentalriskassociatedwiththeDepotandtodevelopamonitoringprogramwhichwillprovide

thenecessary informationtosignifyanychange inthatriskstatus (WoodwardClyde1994:ES1). Afterthe

releaseoftheStageIIAudit,WasteServiceNSW(1994:1)saidthatnocontaminationwasfoundoutsidethe

site[andthat]thepotentialformovementofwastechemicalsoffthedepotisconsideredtobeslow. Also,


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thesamepublicationnotedthatthedraftoftheStageIIauditfoundthatthepotentialforadverseimpactof

waste chemicals... [is] negligible. Further to the above,Waste ServiceNSW (1995a:1) stressed that the

Auditspecificallyfoundthatthereisnegligibleriskofcommunityexposuretowastederivedchemicals. The

facilityisnotleaking.

Also, in1994, the thenMinister for theEnvironment,ChrisHartcher, stated that theAGCWoodwardClyde

examination of thewaste depot concluded that, there is no evidence of any contamination of surface or

groundwatersbeyondtheboundariesofthedepot(Hartcher1994).

Later,however, the EPA admitted to chemical leakage offsite by way of groundwater contamination (EPA

official1995,

pers.

comm.,

26

April)

(see

Appendix

4).

InJune1993,theCastlereaghSecureLandfillDepotInterimEnvironmentalManagementPlan(1993)wasset

out detailing various management principles including: water management, sedimentation controls,

leachate/landfillgas/litter/dust/odor/pest&weed,andaccidentalspillcontrols(seeCURRENTMANAGEMENT

PRACTICES,below).

AhumanandanimalhealthstudywascommissionedbytheStateGovernmentin1994(Hartcher1994). That

study resulted in an inconclusive assessment. Nevertheless, an alert status [was] adopted in relation to

[the]healthoutcomes(Williams&Jalaludin1994:v).

OnApril21,1995,theMinisterfortheEnvironment,theHonPamAllan,MP,announcedthattheoperationof

the CastlereaghWasteManagement Centre (WMC)would be phased out [and] on 18May,1995, the EPA

issued [a] Legal Notice requiring Waste Service to submit a closure Plan for the Castlereagh Waste

ManagementCentreby31May,1995(WasteServiceNSW1996:1).

In 1996, the Total Environment Centre Inc. published its Castlereagh Waste Disposal Depot Report on

CommunityConcernsandAdequacyofGovernmentInvestigations. InthisreporttheCentrerefutedthemajor

groundwatermodellingassumptionsandconclusionsmadebyWoodwardClydeintheirStage2auditof1994.

Atthe29January,1997ClosureConsultation(tenth)meetingofNegotiatedSolutions,whichIattended(depot

closurefacilitators),theExpertReviewPanel(theERP)wereintroducedbyMarkLane[ClosureManager,

WasteServiceNSW][who]confirmedthatthe [ERP]memberswere independentofWasteServicealthough

paidbyit[andwerenominatedandhired]toprovideunbiasedtechnicalassistance(Walker1997:4)(emphasis

mine).

Theclosurefacilitationisanongoingprocessatthetimeofprintingthisreport.

CURRENTMANAGEMENTPRACTICES

WasteService

NSW

designated

the

Castlereagh

depot

as

aspecial

landfill

site.

It

is

the

only

one

of

its

kind

in

Sydneyandatpresentreceiveswaste inthe formofsludgefromtheLidcombeaqueouswasteplant (Waste

ServiceNSW, 1994: 1,4). Thewaste deposited consists of approximately 29 categories ofwaste products

(Metropolitan Waste Disposal Authority, 1977:Exhibit H). This might include up to 115 various chemical

products,withcadmiumandarsenicamongthem(WasteServiceNSW,1996:AppendixIV)(seeAppendix6for

theselists).

LandfillManagement

ConstructionofWasteCells

Theclaycellsare20mlongandareaminimumof3metersabovetheunderlyingstrata(WasteServiceNSW,


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1994:12). Inthisway,aminimumof3mofundisturbedclay[is]leftbeneathanywastedisposalcell[with]

an impervious clay bund constructed around eachworking area of the site; [then the] liquidwaste [is]

absorbed by solid waste [eg household waste (Waste Service NSW, 1994:12)] (McCotter & Associates

1993:6.5). Thismixtureisthenencapsulatedwithinaclayliner,withthefinalcappingofa3.5mbundwallof

compactedclaywhichsealsthepit(WasteServiceNSW,1994:12). Atcurrentwastedisposalrates ittakes

oneweektofillonecellatarateof66tonnesperday(Jones,A.1996,pers.comm.,5September).

The useof this typeof landfill technology, in current use throughout theworld, is argued toenable rapid

detectionofleakageintogroundwaterthroughtheuseofsmallcells,althoughanychangeintheangleofflow

fromthecells(ieintheeventofmajorflooding,earthquake,etc)cancauseamajorleakageproblem(Bedient,

Rifai,&

Newell

1994:71).

WaterManagement

Thedepothas, in thepast,based itswatermanagementofdisturbedareason internaldrainagedynamics.

Alongwiththis,sedimenttrapscontroldischargesfromtheseareas. Overflowfromsedimentponds,onthe

depotsnorthernboundary,entersMainStream,thisbeingatributaryofRickabysCreek. BushlandinArea11

(northernpartof thedepot)actsasanadditional filtrationbuffer forwaterbefore itexitsvia filtrationand

precipitation(McCotter&Associates1993:6.1).

Morespecifically,catchdrainsdelineatesubcatchmentsandprovidefortheseparationofrunoff fromeach.

Also,disturbedarea runoff iskeptseparate from thatoriginating inundisturbedareasasmuchaspossible.

Alldrainagestructures(asofJune1993)weresaidtobetargetedfordesigninaccordancewiththeCALMDraft

UrbanErosionandSedimentControlManual1992(McCotter&Associates1993:6.2).

Leachate

Control,

Collection

and

Disposal

Leachatecontrolisbasedonthe3mundisturbedclaybarrierbeneatheachcell, imperviousclayaroundeach

workingarea,theabsorptionofliquidintosolidwaste,andthebackfillingofallcellswithaclayplug(McCotter

&Associates1993:6.5).

Togetherwiththeabove,themonitoringofgroundwaterisconsideredimportantandtheabilitytorectifyany

contamination eventuatingwould be easilymanaged. Also, although leachate production is considered a

normal resultof siteactivities, theamountof leachategenerated is considered to reduceover timedue to

waterusageby vegetation. Alongwith this, there is predicted to be a likelydeclineof infiltration via the

agencyofhumus(McCotter&Associates1993:6.78).

Leachate collection and disposalwill occur through via systems that keep leachate separate from surface

waters (to avoid contamination of Main Stream, Rickabys Creek and other watercourses). This 1993

documentdescribescollectionanddisposalarrangmentsintermsofplanstodevisedwithEPAinput(McCotter

&Associates1993:6.8).

LandfillGasControl

Landfillgas (methaneandcarbondioxide) isestimatedtogenerateatapproximately1500cubicmetresper

hourforeachmilliontonnesofwaste(McCotter&Associates1993:6.9). Thisdocumentdetailsthepossible

inclusionofagascollectionandcontrolsystemshouldgasemissionsbecomeanuisance, for theefficacyof

rehabilitationofplantlife,andforpotentialcommercialusesofthegas. Thepossibleinclusionofthissystem

would occur progressively, along with overtopping of cells and disturbed areas (McCotter & Associates

1993:6.9).


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PremisesAssociatedWithManagementPractices

TheSafetyPremise

WasteServiceNSWarguesthatliquidmovesthroughtheclayatthedepotatarateofabout1metreevery17

yearsdue to the lowpermeabilityof the clay (WasteServiceNSW1994:2). According to these figures, it

would takeapproximately46years for thewaste to traveldown from thecell to thegroundwater. These

statements are thoroughly dismissed by the Total Environment Centre Inc publication, CastlereaghWaste

DisposalDepotAReportonCommunityConcernsandAdequacyofGovernmentInvestigations(1996:8).

Someofthehundredsofboresitesaroundthedepotaremonitoredonaregularbasis(Jones,A.1996,pers.

comm.,5September).

We

feel

that

the

inclusion

of

these

bores

somehow

provides

afalse

sense

of

security

forWaste Service, at least in regard to their public relations. Ultimately, though, any authoritativepublic

announcementofwasteleakage(giventhathonestywouldprevail)wouldlikelynotprovideanyrealmeasure

of assurance for those affected, given the devastating events that have already impacted on so many

Londonderrylandholders. Allitwoulddo,attheverymost,issignalanenvironmentalcatastrophelongafter

theeventhastakenplace.

ProblemswithPremise

IthasbeenstatedbyWasteServicesNSWthatseepageofcontaminants intothegroundwaterhasnotgone

beyond the depot boundary (AGC WoodwardClyde 1994:ES9), yet 26 assumptions made in this water

consultant firms report have been questioned (Perry 1996:15). The inappropriate permeability

measurements taken (Perry 1996:15) seem to auger poorly for the reports professional standing and

conclusionswhenithasalsobeenstatedthat,1/3ofthewasteleaksoutofacellin3yearsandalmostallof

it leaksout in20years (RAGE1995a:1). This indicates that toxinsarepresent in thedepotgroundwater,

howeverWaste

Services

say

that

the

perched

groundwaters

under

the

site

are

isolated

bodies

of

watersaturatedsoilandarethereforenotapathwayforthetransportofchemicalsoffsite(WasteService

NSW1994:4). Evenifthesestatementsweretrue(ourstudyhasdeterminedthattheyarenot),afloodmay

wellbesufficienttoinvadethesegroundwatersandthusleadtothespreadofcontaminants.

Also,landfilltechnologydoesnothaveagoodtrackrecordinternationallyasamethodofwastecontainment.

AspartofitsreporttoCongress,theUSEPAidentified163caseswhereenvironmentalorhealthimpactscould

be documented. In 146 of these cases, groundwater was affected, and 35 cases showed contaminated

drinkingwaterashavingimpactsonhumanhealthandaquaticlife. Theextentofenvironmentaldegradation

wasrelatedtothedegreeofwasteinfiltrationandtheflowrateofgroundwater(Carra1990:230).

ENVIRONMENTALANDHUMANHEALTHSTUDIES

Aswell as the EPAs abovelisted efforts (see under Chronology, page 2), the EPA has also generated a

preliminaryairmonitoringprogram[showing]thattheairatCastleareaghWMCwasnodifferenttotheairata

siteremote

to

the

centre

(Waste

Service

NSW

1995b:24).

(As

an

aside,

here,

this

report

would

like

to

questiontherathercrypticnatureofthelastquote. Amorespecificstatementwould,wethink,beinorder.)

The same publication also noted that a more comprehensive program to determine air quality over a

12monthperiod isunderway. Icouldpointoutherethatperhapsthesiteremotetothecentreshould

alsoundergothismonitoring,sinceithasthesameairwhateverthatis;thiswasnotspecifiedastheDepot.

OthergovernmentbodieshavealsogeneratedavarietyofstudiesontheDepot. TheseincludeNSWHealth

and NSW Agriculture. All reports have claimed no substantiated link between the WMC and reported

phenomenainthesurroundingcommunity(WasteServiceNSW1995b:24).


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HumanHealth

TheWestern Sector PublicHealth Units CastlereaghHumanHealth Study has determined an inconclusive

outcomeinregardtoalinkbetweenhumanhealthproblemsandleakageofwaste(seeAppendix4foraspects

of the Human Health Study (HHS) Report given at a CMC meeting in 1995). They noted that no clear

pathwaysofexposurecanbeestablished,sotherealextentandoutcomeofthehealtheffectsofthesite

cannotbemeasured(WilliamsandJalaludin1994:v). Inotherwords,thestudywasnotabletoidentifyany

association between adverse health outcomes and the Castlereagh Waste Management Centre (CWMC)

(Refshauge1998).

However,

the

concern

over

depot

related

illness

and

animal

deformities

continues.

In

recognition

of

this,

AndrewRefshaugeMP(DeputyPremier,MinisterforHealthandMinisterforAboriginalAffairs)hasstatedthe

following:

InviewofongoingconcernsforthehealthofresidentslivingneartheCWMC,Iamadvisedthatofficersfrom

theDepartments EnvironmentalHealthUnit have recentlymetwith the officers from the Environment

ProtectionAuthoritytofacilitatetheestablishmentofahealthmonitoringprogram.

It isproposedthatthehealthmonitoringprogramwillbeestablishedbytheWesternSectorPublicHealth

Unitas soonas funding issues are finalisedwithin theHealthDepartment. It isalsoproposed that the

Western[Sector]PublicHealthUnitanalyseandreportonroutinelycollectedhealthdataeachyearforat

leastthenextfiveyears. Thesereportswillthenbedisseminatedwidelytoallinterestedparties.

I wish to assure the community that my Department does take this issue seriously. I trust that the

foregoing information helps to allay the communitys concerns with the establishment of a health

monitoringprogram(Refshauge1998).

IfthepreviousHumanHealthStudy foundthatbraincancerrates inmalesweremorethan threetimesthe

NSWaverage,breastcancerrates2timesanduterinecancersoverfivetimestheaverage(Kerr,1995:13),

but still could notdefine anoutcome, thenwhy should the communitybe assured? Please see, formore

specific details, Community Monitoring Committee and Human Health Study, and also

HUMAN/ANIMAL/PLANTPHYSIOLOGICPOISONINGNEARDEPOT: Part1,below.

AnimalandSoilHealth

Soil. TheNSWDepartmentOfAgriculturespublication,CastlereaghWasteManagementCentreAnimaland

SoilHealthReports:ExecutiveSummary(1995:2)listedresultsfromtheirsoilsurveyoffiverespondentsinBligh

Park,SouthWindsorand Londonderrywhowerehavingproblemsgrowingplants. The conclusion reached

stated that fourof the five respondentshadunbalancedsoil fertility. Theuseofmushroomcompostand

poultrymanure[was]encouraged(NSWDepartmentOfAgriculture1995:2).

Animal.

The

NSW

Department

Of

Agricultures

publication,

Castlereagh

Waste

Management

Centre

Animal

and Soil Health Reports: Executive Summary (1995:35) minimizes any potentiality of the waste dump

contributingsignificantlytoanyreportsofanimalhealthproblems.SeeHUMAN/ANIMAL/PLANTPHYSIOLOGIC

POISONINGNEARDEPOT: Part1,below.,forfurtherdetails.


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7

2. ImpactsoftheLanduseProjectontheEnvironment

andPolitics

Author: MurrayS.Thompson. Specifically,1996soil/watersampling:MurrayS.ThompsonandStephenPaulDawe;1996

soilmoisture,organicmatter tests, resultsandanalyses:MurrayS.Thompson;Heavymetalsdeterminations:SueCusbert

(Technical Officer, UWSH), andSharonBirmingham (SeniorTechnical Officer,UWSH) with the participation of Murray S.

Thompson,StephenDaweandShahroozNouri;Heavymetalsanalyses:MurrayS.Thompson.

Introduction

Themedia has been unquestionably central to the ongoing furor generated over alleged contamination of

propertiesneartheCastlereaghLiquidWasteDisposalDepotatLondonderry/BerkshirePark. Bothsidesof

theheatedissue theStateGovernment(alongwiththeEPAandWasteServiceNSW)andlocal landholders

(alongwithRAGE[ResidentsActionGroupfortheEnvironment]) haveusedthemediatoalertthepublicto

perceivedmistruths and contradictions. However, the overriding focus and theme of all statements and

exchanges has been the negative impact of chemical contaminants on property viability and human and

animalhealth. IfwearetobelievewhattheLondonderrylandholdersaresaying,thenindeedtherehasbeen

asignificantdegradationalinfluenceupontheterrestrialenvironmentoftheextendedLondonderryregion.

ImpactsDiscussion

DIRECT,NEGATIVEIMPACTONLOCALLANDUSE

Consideringthattherehasbeenonemilliontonnesofliquidwaste...dumpedatCastlereaghoverthepast20

years(Kerr,

1995:3),

it

may

not

be

surprising

then

that

locals

in

the

area

surrounding

the

waste

depot

have

beenthefirsttoannouncethenatureoftheperceivedthreatfromthedumpsite:

[Ananonymouspropertythatis]about4kmfromtheCastlereaghLiquidWasteDisposalDepot,hasjoined

thevoicescallingforapublicinquiryintothedepot.

On two occasions [this property owners] animals became agitated and nervous after heavy rain and

behavedasifthewetgroundwasburningthem...

[The] land isabove thewater tableand [theowner]believeswater from the liquidwastedepotmaybe

seepingthroughthegrounduptothesurfaceofherproperty(Bender1990:3).

ThesamearticleshowedthattheStatememberforLondonderry,PaulGibson,wasoneofmanyclaimingthat

the[above]farmsproblemswereconnectedtootheroccurrencesinthearea,withthecommonlinkproposed

asbeingtheliquidwastedepot(seeAppendix3forinterviewswiththeanonymouslandholder).

ForMCSvictims:Becomeanaffiliateofthiscompany

Inlargeblocklettersonpage1oftheApril10,1990PenrithPresswasthefollowingheadline:WHATSKILLING

LONDONDERRY? Thearticlehighlightedanumberofthings:

Animals are dying; vegetables are dying; dams and creeks are coveredwith film;water courses are

spewing froth; eels, fish andmussles have died; people are experiencing skin problems; horses are

behavingstrangely;frogshavedisappeared,andanimalsarereportedlyborndeformedordead.
http://affiliatemarketing.sitesell.com/poisonedpeople.htmlhttp://affiliatemarketing.sitesell.com/poisonedpeople.htmlhttp://affiliatemarketing.sitesell.com/poisonedpeople.htmlhttp://affiliatemarketing.sitesell.com/poisonedpeople.htmlhttp://affiliatemarketing.sitesell.com/poisonedpeople.htmlhttp://affiliatemarketing.sitesell.com/poisonedpeople.htmlhttp://affiliatemarketing.sitesell.com/poisonedpeople.htmlhttp://affiliatemarketing.sitesell.com/poisonedpeople.htmlhttp://affiliatemarketing.sitesell.com/poisonedpeople.htmlhttp://affiliatemarketing.sitesell.com/poisonedpeople.htmlhttp://affiliatemarketing.sitesell.com/poisonedpeople.htmlhttp://affiliatemarketing.sitesell.com/poisonedpeople.htmlhttp://affiliatemarketing.sitesell.com/poisonedpeople.htmlhttp://affiliatemarketing.sitesell.com/poisonedpeople.htmlhttp://affiliatemarketing.sitesell.com/poisonedpeople.htmlhttp://affiliatemarketing.sitesell.com/poisonedpeople.htmlhttp://affiliatemarketing.sitesell.com/poisonedpeople.htmlhttp://affiliatemarketing.sitesell.com/poisonedpeople.htmlhttp://affiliatemarketing.sitesell.com/poisonedpeople.html


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ThepeopleofLondonderry,aruralandfarmingcommunity,arefrightenedandmanyofthefarmersface

financialruin.

Mutatedanimalscontinuetobeborn,eggoatswithnoskin.

Waterappearstobethecommon link inalltheseproblems,particularlyafter rain. Animalsdieafter

drinkingandstockrefusetodrink.

All theproperties affectedare locatedbetween thewastedisposaldepot and theNepeanRiver (Prisk

1990a:12).

UNSAFEENVIRONMENTFORRESIDENTS,ANDAUTHORITYCONCERN

AnotherpointcanbemaderegardingtheCarringtonRoadpropertyofFrankDemanuele. Demanuelesaysthe

waterlilies

are

now

dead

in

his

dam,

and

both

the

eels

and

fish

are

dying

(Bender

et

al,

1990).

The

article

continues:

OverthepasttwoyearsboththeStatePollutionControlCommissionandtheWasteManagement Authority

(whichoperates thenearby liquidwastedepot)have testedMrDemanuelesproperty. TheWMAhasa

padlockedboreholeonhispropertywhichisusedfortestseverytwomonths.

Sofarhehasnotreceivedawrittenreportonanyofthosetests:IkeepgettingtoldFranktheresnothing

wrong,butwhydidmylawnsdieandbecomebaredirt? Whydid80nativetreesjustdie? Noonewants

totakeresponsibility(Benderetal,1990).

Iftheresnocoverup,astheWasteServiceNSW(1995a:2)newsletterassures,thenwhynowrittenreports

fortheowneroftheproperty? Aretestresultsbeingkeptunderwraps?

NotethisfurtherindictmentagainstthenoleakagestatementofWasteServiceNSW(1995a:1). TedBooks,

a

Hawkesbury

Council

alderman,

was

moving

earth

at

Londonderry

in

1978

on

a

property

next

to

the

Depot.

Afterturningover2mofsoilhenoticedagasbeingemitted. NotlongafterthisMrBookscouldntbreathe

andfeltveryill. Hehadabitterchemicaltasteinhismouthforweeksaftertheincident. Althoughhaving

reportedthemattertotheSPCC,MrBookswasnotcontactedagainafteraninitialquestioningsessionbyone

ofitsofficers(Benderetal,1990). Also,notethiscommentfromtheWMAstechnicalmanagerRossThomas

[who] said problems on [the anonymous landholders] landwas not the authoritys responsibility (Bender

1990:3).

SAFEGUARDS?

AccordingtotheWMA,theDepotsiteissurroundedbyawallofhighlycompactedclaytostopthemovement

ofliquidundertheground. Aseriesof5mdeepcellsaredug,leaving3mofimpermeableclaybeloweachcell

todiscourage thedownwardmovementofany liquids. Liquidwasteand the cellsare coveredwith3mof

clay(Benderetal,1990).

The

1995

Waste

Service

NSW

Newsletter

assures

us

that

in

addition

to

the

preexisting

and

new

groundwater

monitoringbores..., thereareapproximately120shallowbores testing individualwaste cellsand180bores

into the Londonderry clay. The site is completely surrounded by these Londonderry clay bores (Waste

ServiceNSW,1995a:5).

If Frank Demanuele is not told what is in the WMA padlocked bore on his property, then why should we

believeanythingweretoldinregardtothe300orsoboressurroundingtheDepotsite?


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9

ISSUEIMPACTONPOLITICSGOVERNMENTRESPONSE

CallsforInquiryandContradictoryTestResults

ThePenrithCitystarof27March,1990,notedthattheStateGovernmenthadorderedapublicinquiryintothe

depot, following water sampling in surrounding properties (Kelly 1990). The same article listed the

followingalarmingdetails:

Environmentminister TimMoore has agreed to inspect the area... after thematterwas raised in State

Parliamentlastweek... Themovefollowsastringofalarmingincidentsinwhichanimalshavediedand20

marketgardensinLondonderrydestroyed.

Results of sampling commissioned byMrGibson indicated that 1.1mg of petroleum hydrocarbonwere

presentineachlitreofwatertakenfromtwodamsinthelocalarea(Kelly1990).

Inalltheabove,weobservepoliticianssupposedly/hopefullyexpressingearnestdesirestoseeproperaction

taken,althoughonebecomesskeptical thatactionwillbeunbiasedandactually result in realandequitable

benefits forthosewhomayhavebeenwronged. Onealsomustbegin towonderwhy thePrisk (1990:12)

articlenotedthattheStatePollutionControlCommission(SPCC)donotknowwhichchemicalstotestforon

propertiesandsomeindividualtestscancostupto$400each,andthattheSPCCregionalmanager(southern

Sydney),TonyHewitt,saidtheauthoritydidnthavetheexpertisefortheexaminationofdeadanimalswhich

hebelievesmaybe the key to theproblem. It is also somewhatunfathomablehow the SPCC andWMA

(WasteManagementAuthority)shouldarriveatanothingwronganalysisandconclusion inregardto local

water (Bender 1990:3)when Gibsons tests did not (see Appendix 7 for heavymetals test results on the

Anonymous property, Appendix 2a and b for the property maps and photos, and Appendix 5 for RAGE

newslettersonthewastedepot).

HandicappedInquiry

Anunbiasedexposureoftruthandadeterminedwilltocompensateanyadverselyaffecteddoesnot,however,

seem to beon the agendaof anywhomightbe able tohide culpability beneathpleasof chemical testing

ignoranceandexpense,orthespecificlackofsolidanddemandingabsoluteproof.

Asmattersturnedout,thePenrithPressof24thJuly,1990said:

Thetroubled inquiry intoproblemsaroundtheCastlereaghLiquidWasteDisposalDepotwasdealtablow

fromwithinlastweekbyStateMemberforLondonderryPaulGibson.

Amemberofthecommunitycommitteeof inquiryestablishedbyStateEnvironmentMinisterTimMoore,

MrGibsonpreviouslyhadbeenreluctanttocommentonitsworkingsbutlastweekhelabelledtheinquiry

afarce...

Asrevealed

in

the

Penrith

Press

last

month,

the

committee

is

being

funded

by

the

very

body

which

operates

theliquidwastedepotunderinvestigation theWasteManagementAuthority whichMsAllan[Opposition

environmentspokesmanPamAllan]feltcompromisedtheinquiry(Zuel1990).

ThesamearticlequotedMrGibsonassaying:ItsliketheWMAinvestigatingtheWMA...theGovernnentwill

becondemned fornot reallytryingto findacause forwhat ishappening inthesurroundsofLondonderry.

AlthoughthethenPremierNickGreinerassertedtheGovernmentwasdeterminedtoascertainiftherewasa

genuinehealthrisk,itseemsthattheGovernmentswillandcredibilityislackinginthistypeofinvestigation.

CommunityMonitoringCommitteeandHumanHealthStudy

Asaresultoftheburgeoningnatureand influenceofthis issue, further impactshavebeennotedwithinthe


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10

politicalarenaresultingincertainactionbeingtaken:

In late1991aplanwasdeveloped toutilisean independent communitymediator toconsultwidelywith

residentsnearCastlereagh, identify issuesofconcernandbringtogether inanopen forum thosewithan

interestintheDepot.

Following the consultantswork, the CommunityMonitoring Committee or CMCwas established by the

MinistersofficeinNovember1992afterreleaseofthefirstenvironmentalauditoftheDepot.

Penrith Councilwas appointed to convene and chair thesemeetings. The committeemeets in Penrith

CouncilChambersaboutonceamonthandisfundedbyWasteServiceNSW...

ThemainfunctionofthiscommitteeistomanagetheActionPlanpresentedbytheMinisterin1992. The

ActionPlancomprised:

TheStageIIAudit;

Ahumanhealthstudyanda

Floraandfaunahealthstudy(WasteServiceNSW1995a:6).

TheHumanHealthStudy found that therateofbraincancer inmales [is]more than three times theNSW

average,withthebreastcancerratebetween1979and1983...twoandahalftimestheStateaverage,with

eight cases identified,while three casesofuterine cancerbetween1984and1988... [were]more than five

times the average (Kerr, 1995:13). Amazingly, theWaste Service NSW (1995a:1) stated that themajor

findingsof theHumanHealthStudy includedno increase in the cancer rate. Not surprisingly, though, the

outcomeofthestudywasan openfinding,withnodirect linkbetweenhealthproblemsandthetip(Kerr

1995:13).

In contradiction ofmost of the authoritativepolitical statements, a RAGEmember at the 26/04/95 CMC

meetingsaidthatitappearedthatiftheHealthStudyquotedtwocasesofcleftlip/palate,thenitmissedfive

othercasesknowntoexistinthearea(RAGE1995,pers.comm.,26April). Themedicalrepresentativefrom

WestmeadHospitaldeliveringthehealthstudyfindingsatthemeetingrespondedthattheycameupwiththe

studyareaand that this couldnotbe changednow (WestmeadHospital spokesman1995,pers. comm.,26

April). SeeHUMAN/ANIMAL/PLANTPHYSIOLOGICPOISONINGNEARDEPOT: Part1,below.

As iftoadd furthercontradiction (andstraightoutadmissionconfoundingpreviousassertions)to theentire

process involvingpoliticalreactionanddefence,theEPArepresentativeat thissameCMCmeetingdeclared,

nottenminuteslater,thatleakageofcellsintogroundwaterisafact confirmed(EPAspokesman1995,pers.

comm.,26April). However,theEPArepresentativethennotedbenevolentlythatprosecutionoftheWaste

Servicewouldnotachieveanythinginregardtofixingtheproblem!

Certainly, with regard to the above, it is clear that the Castlereagh project has, through much public

controversy,impacted

profoundly

throughout

political

and

health

circles.

LOCALANDINTERNATIONALENVIRONMENTGROUPS

RAGE

In response to the issuesofhumanand animalhealth surrounding theoperationof theCastlereaghWaste

DisposalDepot,alocalgroupnamedRAGE(ResidentsActionGroupfortheEnvironment)formedatapublic

meeting in December, 1989 (Total Environment Centre Inc. 1996:1). RAGE (see Appendix 5 RAGE

Newsletters) has been instrumental inmaking various test results (eg borewater tests at the Castlereagh

depot)public,alongwithestablishingdetailed listsofdisease symptoms relating todepot contaminationof

neighboring properties. RAGE members have been dedicated participants of the CMC and Negotiated


20/61

11

Solutions (depotclosure)meetings,overseeing, in largepart, theactivities,pronouncementsandconductof

WasteServiceNSW,theEPA,andallconcernedwiththedepotissue. RAGEwasalsoinstrumentalinsecuring

theservicesoftheTotalEnvironmentCentreInc.whichhasperformedanauthoritativestudyontheadequacy

(orotherwise)ofvariousgovernmentinvestigationsinto:

Mathematical modellingofwaterandcontaminantmovementsfromtheCastlereaghWasteDisposalDepot;

ThereviewoftheCastlereaghWasteDisposalDepotSoilReport,AnimalHealthStudyandHumanHealthStudy;

Potentialexposurepathwaystohumans,otheranimalsandvegetationfromchemicalsintheCastlereaghWaste

DisposalDepot(TotalEnvironmentCentreInc.1996:ii,iii).

GreenpeaceandGeology

Notably,Greenpeacehasalsoenteredthe frayandmade its feelingsclearontheCastlereaghLiquidWaste

DepotinLondonderry(PenrithPress,1990b). ThisarticlenotedthatGreenpeaceaskedforthereleasingof

dataontheDepotbytheauthority(WMA):

SpokesmanDonnaRussosaidwehaverequesteddetailed informationcoveringmonitoringandthetypes

ofwastesinvolved.

ThistypeofinformationisessentialforpublicunderstandingofthesituationattheCastlereaghdepot,she

said(PenrithPress,1990b).

Greenpeacehasrevealedsomequitestartlinginformationinregardtothelocalgeologyinthedepotsitearea:

The new [Greenpeace] report says toxicwastes are capable of leaching through the clay and into the

permeablegravellayerbeneaththeclay,whichcontainsthegroundwater.

Thislayer,

known

as

Rickabys

Creek

Gravel,

becomes

exposed

at

the

surface

in

areas

downhill

from,

and

closeto,thedump.

If chemicalswere leaking from the dump, down into the Rickabys creekGravel, these chemicals could

migratethroughthegravelandflowtothesurfaceinneighbouringresidentialareas,thereportsays.

Almostallofthereported localproblemshaveoccurredwithinorclosetotheareaswheretheRickabys

Creekgravelcomestothesurface...

TheWMAstatesthattheclayhasverylowpermeabilitybutGreenpeace saysmanyofthewastesdumped

atCastlereaghcouldcauselargeincreasesinthepermeabilityofclay...(Earl1990:1,4).

Thearticlegoesontosaythatthedumpisupto30mhigherthantheresidentialandagriculturalareastothe

westandeast [and that] the soil1020munderneath thedumpemerges at the surface,downhill from the

dump...Earl (1990). Theauthoralsonotes that theGreenpeace report relates thesurfacingof thegravel

layerto

all

but

2of

the

29

trouble

spots.

Itisworthnotingthatonecanoverlayorcomparegeologicalmaps(Clark&Jones1991)andatopographicmap

(CentralMappingAuthorityofNewSouthWales1983)andseethattheRickabysCreekGravelassociatedwith

thedumpsiteintersectsthesouthwesterncornerofBlighPark,alargeresidentialcomplexsouthofWindsor.

Also,thegraveleitherunderliesorcloselyborderssixsignificantlyaffectedpropertiesaroundthewastedepot

(seeAppendix2a MapsofPropertiesNearDepot,IncludingtheAnonymousProperty).

INDICATORSOFSEVEREGROUNDWATERCONTAMINATION

TheRAGEHawkesburyNepeanNewsletterofSeptember1993revealedthesestartlingfacts:


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12

On23rd June,1993,MrPeterMillington,DirectorGeneralof theNSWDepartment ofWaterResources,

issuedapressreleasestatingthatThereisnoevidencethatanycontaminantshaveasyetmovedintothe

groundwatersystemundertheCastlereaghToxicWasteDepot.

MrMillingtonalsopointsoutthattheDepartmentofWaterResourceshastheresponsibilitytoensurethat

surfaceandgroundwaterresourcesareprotected.

The press release seems to indicate that the Department of Water Resources has not read previous

groundwatertestingdataontheDepot. Hadthisdatabeencheckedtheycouldhavefoundthatasample

takenfromborehole107on11thDecember1989was92,000timestheCleanWatersActlimitforphenols.

Otherreadingsfromborehole107havebeen27,000times,24,000timesand24,500timesthe legal limit.

Borehole131hasbeen46,000timesthelimit,borehole105hasbeen19,300timesthelimit,borehole106

hasbeen13,000timesthelimitandborehole943hasbeen8,950timesthelimit.

...AuditorsAGCWoodwardClyde...havealsoannouncedthatelevatedorganiccarbonconcentrations(>20

mg/L)havebeendetectedinanumberofboresincluding906(43mg/L),915(20mg/L),918(296mg/L),927

(81mg/L),934 (77mg/L)and942 (20mg/L). Ofthesebores906 isoutsidethedepotand942 isonthe

depotboundary(RAGE1993:3)(emphasismine).

Further to this, a RAGE media release (RAGE 1995b) reported that the EPA has actually legalized the

contaminationofthegroundwaterbeneaththedepotbyestablishinganauthoriseddischargepoint. Ifthis

were not enough, another RAGE media release (RAGE 1995c) noted that the EPA has declared that

concentrations of volatile halogenated compounds appear to be higher than measured during the

[WoodwardClydeStageII]Audit. Interestingly,WasteServicequestionedthecredibilityoftheirusualally,

theEPA.

HUMAN/ANIMAL/PLANTPHYSIOLOGICPOISONINGNEARDEPOT: Part1

HumanHealth

TheWestern Sector PublicHealth Units CastlereaghHumanHealth Study has determined an inconclusive

outcomeinregardtoalinkbetweenhumanhealthproblemsandleakageofwaste(seeAppendix4foraspects

of the Human Health Study (HHS) Report given at a CMC meeting in 1995). They noted that no clear

pathwaysofexposurecanbeestablished,sotherealextentandoutcomeofthehealtheffectsofthesite

cannotbemeasured(WilliamsandJalaludin1994:v).

Theabovestatementsarecalled intoquestionbytheTotalEnvironmentCentre Incpublication,Castlereagh

Waste Disposal Depot A Report on Community Concerns and Adequacy of Government Investigations

(1996:8). ThisstudynotesdeficienciesintheHHS,thesebeing:

Thattheresearchersdidnottakeintoaccountthat75%ofhouseholdsincludedinthestudyindicatedthat

they

had

noticed

unusual

problems

with

the

soil

and

water

on

their

properties

including

discolouration

of

thesoilandsurfacewaterwithanoilyfilm,wildlifewhichweredeadorsickandvegetationthatdiedordid

notgrowwell(TotalEnvironmentCentreInc.1996:38);

Thatresearcherswerenotalertedbyreportsthattheseproblems[occurred]specificallyafterrain(ibid);

Thatresearchersalsowerenotalertedtothefactthat43%ofrespondentsindicatedoutcropsofRickabys

CreekGravelontheirproperty. TheRickabysCreekGravel isassociatedwiththe flowofgroundwater

(ibid);

Thattheresearchersshouldhaveconsideredthesefindingsandunderstoodthattheremaybeexposureto

contaminationresultingfromgroundorsurfacewater(ibid);

That the HHS should have considered the exposure pathway between humans and potentially

contaminatedsoilorfoodontheirproperties(ibid);

That the HHS did not investigate, or even recommend investigation of the problems the majority of
http://www.healthyworldaffiliates.com/1628


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13

respondentswereexperiencing. Fieldsamplingshouldhavebeencarriedouttocheckforcontamination

ofsoilandwaterontheseproperties. Ifthisworkhadoccurredthenapathwayofexposuremayhave

beenidentified(ibid)(emphasistheirs).

Seealso,IMPACTONPOLITICS,THROUGHTHEENVIRONMENT,belowforfurtherdetails.

AnimalandSoilHealth

Soil

The

NSW

Department

of

Agricultures

publication,

Castlereagh

Waste

Management

Centre

Animal

and

Soil

HealthReports:ExecutiveSummary (1995:2) listed results from theirsoilsurveyof five respondents inBligh

Park,SouthWindsorand Londonderrywhowerehavingproblemsgrowingplants. The conclusion reached

stated that fourof the five respondentshadunbalancedsoil fertility. Theuseofmushroomcompostand

poultrymanure[was]encouraged(NSWDepartmentOfAgriculture1995:2).

TheTotalEnvironmentCentre Incpublication,CastlereaghWasteDisposalDepotAReportonCommunity

Concerns andAdequacy ofGovernment Investigations (1996) (see Appendix 2a 2. Locations of Reports of

Groundwater Pollution) noted the following deficiencies in theNSWDepartment ofAgricultures study on

plantgrowthproblems:

TheNSWAgriculturereportisundated,[so]itcannotbedeterminedifitwascarriedoutbeforeorafterthe

compilationofepisodesofhuman,otheranimalhealthandvegetationproblemsgatheredoverfouryears

from19901994byRAGE(TotalEnvironmentCentreInc.1996:3132);

Onlyoneoutof21residentsreportsonvegetationproblemswas included intheNSWAgriculturestudy.

IftheNSWAgricultureSoilstudyprecededtheRAGElist[givenbelow]itwouldhavebeenessentialtocarry

outafollow

up

study

when

this

information

became

available

(ibid:32);

ThereportfailstoaddressthefactoflargetreesdyingintheLondonderryarea(ibid);

Thereportsconclusion(Thesoilsarenaturallyverypooritisveryimportantthatanintensiveprogram

ofbuildingupthesoilsbeundertaken[NSWDepartmentOfAgriculture1995:2])isinadequateanddoes

not explain how trees and plants were able to grow in the first place, under apparently very poor

conditions,beforetheysuddenlydied(TotalEnvironmentCentreInc.1996:32);

ThereportfailedtoaddressasignificantproblemrelatingtomarketgardenoperationsintheBlighParkarea.

TheseventuresusedwaterfromSouthCreekforirrigation,resulting,insomeinstances,invegetationloss

ofaconsiderablemagnitude (egthedestructionof8,000capsicumplants;fiveacresofbeetroot,water

cress, parsley, shallots, onions and radish, and the death of 10 chestnut trees). The South Creek

irrigationwatermay have carried chemicals onto the propertieswhichmay still be contaminatedwith

residues. Thiswouldwarrantfurtherinvestigation. Also,otherpotentialsourcesofcontaminationof

SouthCreekotherthanthewastedepotshouldhavebeeninvestigated(ibid).

Animal

The sameNSWDepartmentofAgriculturespublication (1995:35),minimizes any potentialityof thewaste

dumpcontributingsignificantlytoanyreportsofanimalhealthproblems. Thisreportsbasicfindingscanbe

summedupas:

There isscantevidencesupportingaclaim that the rateofanyparticularanimaldiseasenear theCWDD

[CastlereaghWasteDisposalDepot] isnormalorabnormal(NSWDepartmentOfAgriculture1995:3);

ThereisminimalevidencetoconfirmordenythattheCWDDcausesdiseaseinanimals(ibid);

Very little [is known about the effects of ground fill hazardouswaste disposal on animal populations]

(ibid:5).
http://infopublishing.sitesell.com/poisonedpeople.html


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The Total Environment Centres publication, (1996:33) then noted the following deficiencies in the NSW

DepartmentofAgriculturesanimalhealthstudy:

TheAHS [CastlereaghAnimalHealthStudy] states thatepidemiological studies require largenumbersof

cases to draw inferences from and yet discounts an important source of data collated by the local

community throughRAGE. Asa result,thecommunityhasa lackofconfidence in theoutcomesof the

AHSbecausetheirconcernswerenotadequatelyaddressed(TotalEnvironmentCentreInc.1996:33);

AmajorflawoftheAHSisitsfailuretocarryoutacontrolstudyinanareawithsimilarcharacteristicsasthe

studyareabutwithoutthepotentialofcontamination fromtheCWDD. Whilethereportacknowledges

thislimitation(executiveSummary,p4),itwouldhavebeenpossibletocarryoutacomplimentarysurveyof

animal

health

in

neighbouring

suburbs

using

the

same

surveying

process

employed

in

the

AHS.

This

informationwouldhaveassistedthereporttocometousefulconclusions(ibid).

ThemostdisturbingaspectoftheAHShasbeenthewayinwhichithasbeenusedbysomeauthoritiesas

proofthatthereisnoconnectionbetweentheCWDDandperceivedincreasesinanimalhealthproblemsin

thearea,whentheAHS itselfstatesthat TherewasminimalevidencetoconfirmordenythattheCWDD

causesdiseaseinanimals.(AHSExecutiveSummary)(ibid).

HUMAN/ANIMAL/PLANTPHYSIOLOGICPOISONINGNEARDEPOT: Part2

TestLocation:TheAnonymousPropertyinLondonderry

Thetestresults(seeAppendix7HeavyMetalsPrintout&Method,Appendix8SoilTestResultsfor1996&

Method,Appendix 9GraphsforSoil&WaterTests,andTABLE 3 DetailedResults 1995&1996Tests

Combined on or near page 27) and various exchanges of information/opinion required for analyses in the

following sectionwill include past results from interviews and tests gathered on behalf of student group

agricultureandenvironmentalassignmentsexecutedin1995/96andheadedbymyself.

Theanonymoushusbandandwifeteammovedtotheircurrentpropertyin1967. Itislocatedsouthwestof

theCastlereaghDepot. Thepropertyhadagreatmanyanimalsonitthatwereaffectedbytoxicwaste.

GeneralResultsFromConversation

PhysiologicPoisoning(1995) HumanandAnimal

TheownerofthepropertyfromwhichSteveandMurraydrewborewaterandsoilsamples(thehusbandhas

hadtoworkoffthepropertyduetonotablydiminishedhealthaftertheappearanceofunknownchemicals)has

beenurineandbloodtested(priortoMay1995). Theconclusionfromthesetests isthatshehasdefinitely

beenchemicallyexposed. Medicalopinion isthatshehasaround10yearsbeforedevelopingcancer. She

has had biological andneurological testswhich show her immune system to be significantly compromised.

Shealsohasarsenicpoisoning(Anonymous1995,pers.comm.,11May).

Sheneedstotakeantioxidants,vitaminsEandC [vitaminChassignificantblooddetoxifyingcapacity (Davis,

1976:32)],livertablets,LCysteineandprimroseoil (Anonymous.1995,pers.comm.,11May).

The landholders firstnoticedproblemswiththeiranimals in late 89afterheavyrains. Fivehorsesbecame

sick(theywerefoundonemorninglyingdown). Onelaterdied(Anonymous1995,pers.comm.,11May).

On11May,1995,Murrays (thenagriculture)groupspent5hoursonthepropertytestingtheborewaterand

standingwaterinthepaddocks. Allthegroupmembersnotedthattheyhaddevelopedsorethroatsbythat

evening. Murray and others of his group noted a chemical odor in the air on the test day. Thiswas

contrarytoanotablebushysmellthatwasautomaticallyexpected,especiallygiventhebushsettinginwhich

thepropertysits.


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Ontheabovedatethe landholdernoted that ithadbeen12monthssinceherhorseshadexperiencedskin

complaints and 2 years since their noses had hemorrhaged. Itwas postulated that thismight indicate a

changeintheundergroundflowofcontaminantemissionsfromthedepot,possiblyonlyatemporaryreprieve.

Itwasconsideredpossible thatthecontaminants responsible forthehorsesproblemshadmovedon. The

overall impact of the chemicals is apparently very mercurial. The underlying geology may be changing

progressively, ie.naturally,orevenchangingasaresultofthechemicalspresenceandactivity (Anonymous.

and Thompson, M. 1995, pers. comm., 11 May) [recall that Greenpeace said chemicals can change the

permeabilityofclay(Earl,1990:4)].

Physiological(1996) Human

OnSunday1stSeptember,1996myselfandanothergroupmember(Steve)visitedthepropertyforborewater

and soil sampling. Both students noticed a chemical smell in the air. Steve received noticeable

irritation/burns on his hands after contactingwet soil. I felt somewhat compromised by the odor Iwas

inhaling(nausea).

The landholdersaidshehaddevelopedasthmaonly inthe lastfewmonthsandthatasthmamedicationonly

made the asthma worse (Anonymous 1996, pers. comm., 1 September) (She is in her early fifties?). I

commented toher that this reaction is typicalof chemicalaccumulation in the lung tissue. I said that the

asthmatic (bronchoconstrictive)response isdesignedspecifically toexpel irritatingallergens/chemicals from

the lung tissue [this is why some asthmatics die from an acute attack after, especially, taking only

bronchodilatingmedication(Sinclair1993:41)]viathetransportingvehicleofmucusproductionandexpulsion.

Inhercase,theasthmamedicationsucceedsonlyinincreasingthechemicalloadwithinherlungtissues. Her

asthmawouldprobablydisappearaftera fewmonths removal from theproperty,away from the soil, the

sourceoftheoutgassingchemicalscausingherasthma. Sheagreedentirelywiththisdiagnosis.

1996BoreWaterTests

Ontheaboveoccasion,weconducted further testingof theborewateron the landholdersproperty. The

mostnotable result tocomeoutof thattestingwasasurprisinglyhighandsomewhatdisturbing readingof

1.2084ppmofcadmium.

GENERALSYNTHESISOFAVAILABLEINFORMATION

At this point, a synthesis of toxicological information is needed in order to determine if certain chemical

exposures produce symptoms akin to thoseexperiencedby the Londonderry residents.This exercisemight

assist in highlighting potential (introduced) environmental causes for local health problems. Any

contaminants indicated can then be checked to determine if they are among those deposited at the

Castlereaghwastedepot.

RecallthatitwasnotedabovethatAuditorsAGCWoodwardClydemadepublicfiguresonseverephenolicand

elevatedorganiccarboncontaminationofgroundwaterundertheCastlereaghdepot [whichfigureswerenot

known to,orwereperhaps conveniently overlookedby, theDepartmentofWaterResources]). Together

withthis,thecadmium indicationsingroundwaterunderthepropertyandthelandholdersarsenicpoisoning

may begin to paint a picture of general contaminant potentialities regarding their subsurface transport to

propertiesadjoining,ornearto,thewastedepot.

HealthImplicationsofHeavyMetalsPoisoning

TheThornton(1991:68)studyappearstoencapsulateafewcontradictions,namely:


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16

1 Thehouseholdgardensoils[inBritain]greatlyexceededthe levelsofcadmium inpollutedpaddysoils

associatedwiththewelldocumenteditaiitaidiseaseinJapan...

3 Fromstudiesofmetalsinlocallygrownvegetablesanddiets,anaverageuptakeforhumanbeingsof200

ugcadmiumperweekwascalculated,comparedwiththeaverageintake intheUnitedKingdomof140ug

cadmium per week. Individual intakes rarely exceeded the World Health Organisations provisional

tolerableweeklyintakeof450 500ugcadmium.

4 Healthinventoriesandbiochemicaltestson548residentsofShiphamandon543controlsubjectsfrom

a nearby uncontaminated village showed only slight differences attributable to cadmium (Thornton,

1991:68).

IwoulddisputethesafelevelsgivenbyWHOsincethehealthinventoriesdidfinddifferencesattributableto

cadmium. Also,Cd,Hg,andPb,havenotbeenshowntobeessentialforeitherplantsoranimals(Jones&

Jarvis,1981:594)(emphasismine)and,indeed,heavymetalsaretoxicatquite lowconcentrations(Cresser,

Killham&Edwards,1993:152,referencingSauerbeck,1987).

Cadmium inborewaterjust5meters fromthesurface isagenuinecause forconcern,as iscadmiumat0.5

ppm(500ppbor500ug/L)justbelowthesurface(soilsampleF),especiallywhenithasbeenstatedthatin

freshsurfacewatersandmostgroundwaters,cadmiumlevelsaregenerallylessthan1ug/L(WHO1989:164).

TestResults. Atthispoint,itshouldbenotedthattheEPAtestedtheborewaterontheAnonymousproperty

inFebruary1996,andfoundformaldehyde,aswellaslowlevelsofheavymetalsinsoiltests. Thelandholder

wasdiagnosedwithaseverecalciumdeficiency2monthsago(shehashalfthenormallevelofcalciuminher

body). Herdoctorwasabsolutelyshockedatthisfindingandisveryconcernedforherwellbeing. Andthis

findingisdespitethefactthatthelandholderwasputonlargedosesofsupplementstwoyearsagowhenshe

wasdiagnosedashavingarsenicandheavymetalpoisoning(Anonymous1996,pers.comm.,11September).

CadmiumToxicity. Themain symptoms tomentionhere,especially in reference to the immediatelyabove

(andalsoinrelationtothemoreinvisibleeffectsoccuringonbiochemicallevels),areintermsofcadmiums:

implicationinbonedeformations(Rowland&Cooper,1983:170),

initiationofrespiratorydifficultieswithhighlevelexposuretofumes(Philp,1995:141),

longtermdevelopmentofobstructivepulmonarydiseaseandemphysemathroughchronicexposure(ibid)

sufficient and limited evidence of carcinogenicity in animals and humans respectively (ONeill & Dodet,

1985:5)

affectson:permeabilityofcellmembranes;bondingtosulphydrylgroupsandinhibitionofenzymes

Following, in TABLE 1, are Food and Nutrition Board andWHO guidelines (ONeill & Dodet 1985:10) for

cadmiumandleadnutritionalrequirements(minimaandmaxima).


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TABLE 1 Recommended IntakeMinimaandMaximaandEstimatedBioavailabilityoftheElements (AdaptedfromONeill&Dodet,1985:10)

Element Recommendeda

minimum intake

(mg/day)

WHOb guideline

maximum values for

drinking water (ug/L)

[ppb]

WHO estimatedb

from

______________

Food and water (%)

Proportion

absorbed

______________

Air (%)

Cd - 5 6 64

Pb - 50 10 40 overall

a FoodandNutritionBoard(1980)b WHO,1984b_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

GiventhatthebodyhasnorequirementforCd,thatthisheavymetalisimplicatedinsomanymorbiddisease

conditions,andthatWHOsubstantiatethe aliennatureofCdbyrecommendinganilminimumdaily intake

(ONeill&Dodet, 1985:10), it is therefore almost incomprehensible thatWHO can even allow 5 ppb as a

maximumlevelforthiscontaminantinwaterforhumanconsumption!

Andifanythinghigherthan5ppbCdindrinkingwaterisconsideredunacceptablebyWHO,thenwhatcanwe

assumeisthedegreeoftoxicityforCdonthelandholderspropertywhenwerecognizecontaminantlevelsof

1,208.4ppb(1.2084ppm)and500ppb(0.5ppm)inborewaterandsoil,respectively?

ChemicalToxicity: GeneralImpactOnHumanHealth

Xenobiotics

Xenobiotics are foreign chemicals (Vayda 1991:60). This author links toxic chemicals to Chronic Fatigue

SyndromeorCFS. Vaydaintroducesthisvitalconcept:

IcannotunderstandhowanyonecanfailtoappreciatethataddingmanythousandsofNEWtoxicchemicals

toourenvironmentforyearsonend(atleastforthelastfortyyears)isgoingtoaffectthehealthofhuman

beings. Especially since these chemicals are used to kill animal cells, to strip protective coating from

enzymes,touseupprecious,andoftenscarce,reservesofessentialminerals,enzymes,vitaminsandamino

acids(Vayda1991:6061).

ExposuretoChemicalsinDailyLife

The use of chemicals today is extremely widespread. From home to car to workplace and back again,

chemicals can be found to be incorporated into almost any product used or food preparation consumed.

Chemicalsare

part

of

our

environment,

both

through

the

modern

materials

that

we

use,

and

through

the

less

fortuitiousreleaseoftoxicsubstances intotheairwebreatheandthesoilfromwhichwedrawourultimate

sustenance. Notethefollowing:

Thebestenvironmentforthe inhalantproneperson isawoodpaneledhousewithtiledfloors,onlyafew

woolen rugsand cotton curtains. [In contrast to thesenatural substances]...Nylonandplasticproducts

tendtogiveoffahydrocarbonvapour(formaldehyde)wheninawarmenvironment.

Constantexposure tosuchachemicalladenenvironmentgreatly taxesboth the immunesystemand the

enzymechainsoftheliver,astheystriveunceasinglytobreakthesechemicalsdowntolesstoxicproducts

(Alexander1990:9091).


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WhichChemicals?

Wenormallyassociatechemicalpoisoningwithobvious illnessorevendeath. However,chemicalpoisoning

andchemicalsensitivitycanoccuronasubliminallevel,andonecaningest,inhale,orabsorbtoxinswithinthe

contextofanassumedsafeenvironment. Notetheseshockingdetails:

Chlorineisthesecondmostcommonchemical[afterformaldehyde]andisfoundindrinkingwater,washing

water,swimmingpools,bleaches,anaestheticsandmanydrugs. Itisusedintherefiningofbothcooking

oilsandsugar. Initsfreestatechlorineisadeadlypoisonousgas. Itreadilybindswithotherchemicalsto

formcompounds.

Itmust

be

remembered

that

many

of

the

chemicals

found

in

the

home,

work

environment

and

agricultural

spraysarealsofoundaschemicalcolourings,flavouringsandpreservativesinfood.

Takeformaldehyde,forinstance. Itisthemostcommonchemicalintheaveragehousehold. Ithaslittle

odourbutisthecomponentofcarfumes,smogandnaturalgascombustion(homeheatersandstoves)that

causesburningoftheeyes. Formaldehydeisfoundinconcrete,plaster,homeinsulationmaterials, home

antiseptics, toothpaste, disinfectants, waxes, polishes, adhesives, fire proofing compounds applied to

fabrics,foods,insectrepellents,nailpolish,wallboardsandresins. Itisabyproductoftheprocessesthat

makenaturalandsyntheticfabricscreaseresistant,dyefast,shrinkproofandmoreelastic...Itconstitutesa

majorportionofthepollutantsintheairthatnowcovertheearth(Alexander1990:9192).

TheEffectsofToxicChemicalExposure

Manyofthemoderndiseasesnowreachingepidemicproportionsareattributabletoexposuretoxenobiotics.

Thesymptomshaveaverywiderange,andevidencenowconfirmsthatmany illnesses,onceconsideredthe

domain of pathology and psychiatry are not ultimately caused by pathogens, hormone imbalances and

unknowncauses. Theyaregeneratedthroughthepresenceandaccumulationofchemicalswhichweakenthebodysdefensesandsothusmakepossibletheentranceofbacteria,virusesandnegativeenvironmental

influences. Notethesesymptoms:

Not only can food and chemical sensitivities cause eczema, asthma, hayfever,migraines and abdominal

pains, but they can also produce subtle changes in the functioning of the nervous system, the immune

systemandeventuallyeverytissueandorganwithinthebody(Brighthope&Fitzgerald1989:52).

Vaydaadds:

Becausethemitochondriaareessentialforprovidingenergytocells,andthereforetoeverysysteminthe

body,areduction inthefunctionofsomeoftheirenzymes leadstoan impairmentofcellularrespiration.

Cells,likeus,cannotperformefficientlywithoutaformofbreathingandwhenthisisdamagedtheywind

down. Groupsoftissuesfollowandeventuallyorgansorsystemsjointhelist(Vayda1991:61).

Today,quality

of

life

is

much

reduced

through

the

impact

of

amultitude

of

disease

conditions

that

are

not

readilycategorized:

The nervous system is particularly sensitive to food and chemicals. Theeffectson the nervous system

include the aggravation of virtually all psychiatric disorders and psychological symptoms. Symptoms

include tension, anxiety, depression, fatigue,mood swings, irritability,weakness, lethargy, crying spells,

phobias,irrationalfears,visualdisturbances,headachesandmigraines(Brighthope&Fitzgerald1989:52).

Thesesymptomsareproducedthrough,moreoften,thesubtleimpactofchemicals:

Every chemical added to our environment tends to increase the amount of free radicals generated and

decreasethebodysabilitytodetoxify. Weallknowsomeofthesechemicalsarebadbecausetheymay

causecanceroraffect foetuses. Whatsomepeopledonotrealise is that, in farmoresubtleways,they
http://infopublishing.sitesell.com/poisonedpeople.html


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may contribute toan accelerationof theageingprocess and thepromotionofavarietyofdegenerative

diseasesbyslowlyimpairingourimmunesystem. Viraldiseases,candida,andahostofotherillnessesare

caused by OPPORTUNISTIC organisms and only occur when our resistance is compromised. Even

lowgrade, chronic exposure to chemicals can render one more susceptible to allergies, biochemical

aberrationsandimmunedisorderssuchasarthritis(Vayda1991:61).

ToxicChemicalsatCastlereaghandExposureSymptoms

Theabovecertainlyindicatesthatindustrialchemicalsarewidelyapplied. Theinferenceisthatthesearethe

typesofchemicalwastesburiedatCastlereagh(and itshouldnotbeneglectedthatthesechemicalsarealso

presentin

our

homes;

this

is

apossible

scape

goat

for

many

defending

the

waste

depot).

This

is

supported

byExhibitHintheMetropolitanWasteDisposalAuthoritysEnvironmentalImpactStatement:ProposedShort

TermExtension,CastlereaghRegionalLiquidWasteDisposalDepotreportofJuly1977(seeAppendix6Listsof

Chemical Wastes), which lists the following chemical categories in the then Application for a Licence to

TransportWasteforFeeorRewardwhichwastobealliedwithanotherformentitled:ApplicationforApproval

toUsetheMWDAsRegionalLiquidWasteDepotfortheDepositofLiquidWaste:

Paints(acryl,alkydorvinylbased,printinginks)

Resins(phenolic,alkydorvinylbase)

Solvents(chlorinated trichloroethylene,nonchlorinated benzene, alcohols,esters,ketones)

Oils(wasteoils[lubricating,hydraulic,mineral],oilsludges,vegetableoils)

Emulsions(rubberlatex, butiminousbased)

Organicwastes(animalwaste,bacterialsludge,vegetablewastes)

Otherorganicchemicals(chlorinated DDT,chlorobenzene;nonchlorinated xanthates,alkylsulfonates)

Acidicwastes(sulphuricandothers,nitricandothers,phosphoric,chromic,hydrochloric,otheracidwastes)

Alkali

wastes

(caustic

soda,

lime

cement

slurries)

Neutralsalts(chrome,iron,ammoniumandvariousmetalsalts,notacidicoralkaline)

Platingwastes(cyanidewastes,otherplatingwastesnotincludedinanyothercategory)

Otherinorganicchemicals(MetropolitanWasteDisposalAuthority,1977).

Pleasenotethatthesolventsandotherorganicchemicalscategoriesabove listbenzeneandchlorobenzene.

Benzenemustbehandledcarefullybecauseitistoxic. Notonlyisitpoisonousifingestedintheliquidform,

but the vapor form is also toxic and canbe absorbedeitherbybreathingor through the skin. Longterm

inhalationcancauseliverdamageandcancer(Bettelheim&March,1995:344).

Further to the above, also note Appendix 6 ITEM 4 Listing of All NonLWP Wastes Received at the

Castlereagh WMC FromApril 1990 to Date. Now note, in TABLE 2 Hazardous Chemicals and Exposure

Symptoms,thefollowingextensivelistofchemicalpoisoningsymptoms(overpage):


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TABLE2 HazardousChemicalsandExposureSymptoms

SUBSTANCE EFFECTS

Metals

Lead Fatigue, insomnia, headache, loss of appetite, constipation. Increased

exposure: abdominal cramps, severe constipation, weakening of muscles

duetodisturbanceofperipheralnervoussystem.

Cadmium Nausea,vomiting,diarrhoea,muscular cramp,kidney failure followingoral

ingestion,lungirritation,chestpain;implicatedinbonedeformationsandas

acarcinogen

(prostate

gland).

Mercury Nervoussystem tremor,psychologicalwithdrawal,irritability.

Zinc Metal fume fever from inhalation of fumes with symptoms similar to

influenza.

Inorganicchemicals

Arsenic

Irritanttomucousmembranesandeyes,highlytoxiconingestion nervous

symptomsanddegenerationofliver;carcinogenic.

Carbondisulphide Toxictocentralnervoussystemandmayleadtorespiratoryfailure.

Organic

chemicals/hydrocarbons

Benzene

Chromosomeaberrationspossibleabove25ppm;repeatedexposureabove

50ppmcausesreductioninredbloodcells,andchronicexposuremaylead

toleukaemia.Narcotizingagent.

Xylene Moderately toxictoblood,liverandkidneys.Narcotizingagent.

Styrene Irritanttoskin,mucousmembranes.

Toluene Mucousmembraneandskinirritant.

Organophosporous

compounds

Loweringofbloodcholinesterase (vital tonerve cells),painsanddefective

circulationin

extremities;

paralysis

of

limb

muscles.

Phosgene Seriousrespiratorysystemdamage.

2,4,5T Highly toxic and readily absorbed by inhalation/ingestion. Weakness,

diarrhoea, lossofappetite, cardiacarrest,death. Reputed teratogenand

carcinogen.

Gases

Nitrousoxide Possiblecauseofabortionsinoperatingtheatrepersonnel.

Hydrogencyanide Extremelypoisonous:affectsenzymesandsolimitsoxygenavailability.

Nickelcarbonyl Irritation of respiratory tract, headache, chest pains,weakness, cyanosis.

Possiblecarcinogen.

Hydrogensulphide Nausea, irritationof respiratorysystemandeyes;possiblenervous system

disorders.

Chlorine Highlyirritant;caninducepermanentreductioninlungfunction.

Ammonia Irritanttoeyes,nose,throatandskin.

Sulphurdioxide

Irritant

to

eyes,

nose

and

throat

to

agreat

degree.

Nitrogendioxide Irritation of upper respiratory tract; chronic bronchitis from longterm

exposure.

Formaldehyde Respiratoryirritant,skinirritantandallergen.Suspectedcarcinogen.

Acids

Sulphuricacid Respiratoryrisk;hazardtoskinandeyes.

Nitricacid

Hydrochloricacid

Hydroflouricacid Tissuedestruction. Highlyirritanttomucousmembranes.

Alkalis Caustictoskin,fleshandeyes;injurioustoentirerespiratorytract.


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Sodiumhydroxide

Potassiumhydroxide

Potassiumcarbonate

Aldehydes

Acetaldehyde Irritantactiononmucousmembranes.

Metaldehyde

Benzaldehyde

Ketones Irritantactiononeyesandrespiratorysystem.Potentialcauseofdermatitis.

Othersubstances

Toluenediisocyanate

Irritant

which

may

precipitate

asthma.

Long

exposure

may

cause

dermatitis.

Phenols Dermatitis.

Cresols

(AdaptedfromRowland&Cooper1983:169177)

ChemicalToxicity:ADILimitedReportShowsLeakageOutsideToxicDepot

TheADILimitedHalfYearly(toJune1997)ReportonthegroundwatermonitoringprogramattheCastlereagh

WasteDepotclearlyshowsthatthedepotisleaking. Wellsalongtheperimeterofthedepot,alongwithwells

locatedmorethanhalfakilometeroutsidethedepotindicateadisturbingarrayoftoxiccontaminants.

WhichContaminantsandWhere?

Severalorganiccompoundshavebeenfound inWell943a,which is locatedonthesouthwestperimeter,on

LlandiloRoad

and

just

over

the

road

from

Fifth

Rd

in

Berkshire

Park

(see

Figures

6and

7in

Appendix

1).

VolumeIoftheReportspecificallynotesthatWell943acontainedseveralorganiccompoundssimilartothose

foundinonsitewells(ADILimited1997a:52).

Volatile halogenated compounds (VHCs) (including 1,1dichloroethane, chloroform, methylene chloride

[dichloromethane] and trichloroethene), total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) (ADI Limited 1997a:20;

1997b:Appendix B), and the semivolatile organic isophorone (detected before January 1997 [ADI Limited

1997b:AppendixB])werefound.

Toluene, methyl ethyl ketone, and methyl isobutyl ketone are listed among the contaminants found in

groundwateratthiswellsite(ADILimited1997a:2021).

ThestoryofchemicalleakagecontinueswithWells942C,locatedjustinsidethenortheastperimeter,and941

(ontheperimeter,southoftheJohnMoronyCorrectionalCentre). 942Cshowedmoderateconcentrations

ofTPHs (0.856mg/L) and low concentration[s]of formaldehyde (1.3mg/L). 941 alsodemonstrated the

presenceof

TPHs

in

the

groundwater,

including

toluene

(ADI

Limited

1997a:22).

It

is

important

to

note

here

thatthe ADIReportoftennotesthatcontaminantswerenotdetectedbeforethistestperiod. Thisclearly

showscontaminantmovement. However,theobvioussourceofthesetoxicwastescannotbeestablished

with certainty, according to these experts. Proposed sources are given as a local source or cross

contaminationofthewellsduringdrillingandinstallation(ADILimited1997a:22).

Withwastes indicatedalongtwosidesofthedepot,weshouldthenask ifchemicalsare indicatedas leaking

beyondtheperimeter. Yestheyare. Thesouthandthewesternperimetershaveoffsiteboresthatclearly

containindicatorsoftoxicchemicalwastes.

First,Well317A, locatedon the southernperimeter shows upward trends in the chlorinated hydrocarbons


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1,1dichloroethaneand ethene,cis1,2dichloroetheneandtrichloroethene(ADILimited1997a:42).

Next,Wells 904, 905, 906, 969 andOSMB5, located from 200 to 500meters outside this perimeter, have

varying indicationsofthefollowingchemicals:chloroform,trichloroflouromethaneandvinylchloride. What

are thesechemicalsdoingoutside thedepot in thegroundwater? Probably thesameas theTPHs, toluene

andVHCsintheperimeterwells941and943A:migrating!

WellOSMB2, locatedoffsiteandacrossTheNorthernRoad fromthedepot, indicates0.083mg/LofTPHs in

June1997(ADILimited1997a:Table12F1),alongwithtracesofarsenic,cobalt,phenol,dinbutylpthalate,and

butylbenzylpthalate(ADILimited1997a:Table12F2).

Upgradients,perchedgroundwatersandchemicaldiffusion

Itwasnoted intheReportthatWells905andOSMB5arelocatedupgradienttotheWMC (ADILimited

1997a:27). Thewordingimpliesthatthechloroformingroundwaterinthesetwowellscouldnotbesourced

fromthedepot. Furthertothis,thepresenceofthechloroform,aswithotherchemicalsfoundinwellsalong

thedepotperimeter, isconsidered to representananomaly (ADILimited1997a:27). Ananomaly iswhat

youcallasituationwhenyoudontwanttocallitwhatitreallyis: chemicalleakagefromasourcecontaining

onemilliontonnesofliquidwaste...dumpedatCastlereaghoverthepast20years(Kerr,1995:3).

Perched groundwaters: this term has developed amythical quality over the past few yearswith regard to

WasteServiceNSW(WSNSW)andotherauthoritiesusageofit. Itisatermthatmagicallyexplains,without

ever providing rational and physical proof,why the groundwaters beneath the depot are somehow totally

isolatedfromallothergroundwatersoutsidethedepot. AccordingtoWSNSWtheory,chemicalscannotcross

thismysteriousbarrierandescapeintogroundwatersadjacenttothedepot.

Modern research into landfill technology, however, contradicts ADI upgradient insinuations and exotic

perchedgroundwatertheories. Note:

The objective of controlling the hydraulic conductivity is clearly one of limiting advective contaminant

transport (ie themovement of contaminantswithmovingwater) through the liner. However, despite

morethanadecadeofresearchandtheexistenceofgoodsupportingfielddata,itisonlyrecentlythatithas

been generally recognized that there is a second contaminant transport processwhichwill occur even

throughaverylowhydraulicconductivityclayliner:thatprocessischemicaldiffusion. ...diffusionmaybe

the dominant contaminant transport mechanism in a wellconstructed clay liner. Furthermore,

contaminantscanescapefromawastedisposalsite,bydiffusionthrougha liner,evenifwaterflowinthe

linerisintothelandfill(Rowe,1994:219)(emphasisadded).

When one adds an EPA admission of chemical leakage offsite byway of groundwater contamination (EPA

official1995,pers.comm.,26April[recordedattheCommunityMonitoringCommitteemeetingatthePenrith

CityCouncilChambersseeAppendix41995CMCMeeting])totheabovescientificresearch, itbecomesall

tooclear

that

the

waste

depot

is

leaking.

HowToxicAreTheseChemicals?

Various studies have been accessed for this section in order to determine the toxicities of someWell and

property chemicals. Some overlap will occur here with information contained in TABLE 2 Hazardous

ChemicalsandExposureSymptomsonpages2122.

Cadmium, and other heavy metals are toxic at quite low concentrations (Cresser, Killham & Edwards

1993:152). Cadmium is implicated in bone deformations (Rowland & Cooper 1983:170), the longterm

developmentofobstructivepulmonarydiseaseandemphysema (Philp1995:141),carcenogenicity inanimals

andhumans(ONeill&Dodet1985:10),andnephrotoxicity(WHO1989:168).


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Vinyl chloride (Wells 904, 905, 906, 969 andOSMB5) causes liver, brain, lung and lymphoid tissue cancer

(Siemiatycki1995:103104)andisaskinirritant(Rowland&Cooper1983:176). Italsoinducestumorsofthe

bloodintheoccupationallyexposedandisasuspectedmutagen(Alloway&Ayres1993:216).

Chloroform (fourof theaboveWells) is implicated incancer (Philp1995:81;Alloway&Ayers1993:216)and

hepato (liver)andnephro (kidneys)toxicity(Philp1995:152).

Toluene(Wells941and943A),anorganicsolvent,isamucousmembraneandskinirritant(Rowland&Cooper

1983:174). Moredisturbingly,toluene isdescribedasaneurotoxinwhich isabsorbedthroughthe lungs

Inthisrespect,itcaninducemildabnormalitiesoftheCNS[and]deathduetoitsinhalationhasoccurredas

aresult

of

solvent

abuse

(Alloway

&

Ayres

1993:44;216).

Methyl

ethyl

ketone

(Well

943A)

can

cause

dermatitisandhasanirritantactionontheeyesandrespiratorysystem(Rowland&Cooper1983:175).

Formaldehyde(Well942C)isarespiratoryirritantandasuspectedcarcinogen(Rowland&Cooper1983:173).

Arsenic (Well OSMB2) causes liver and lung cancer (Rowland & Cooper 1983:58), as well as skin cancer

(Sunderman1985:17).

Phenol (Well OSMB2) is corrosive and poisonous (Aviado 1976:1068) and can cause vomiting, eye and

respiratoryproblems (Bender1991).Further,phenolcauseschangestoenzymeswithintheendoplasmic

reticulum (in cells), particularly in the liver, but also the kidneys, lungs and intestines (Alloway & Ayers

1993:210).

Chlorinatedhydrocarbons (Well317A)promoteallergic reactionssuchasdermatitisandarealsonarcotizing

agents(Rowland&Cooper1983:1767). Theseverypersistentcontaminantshaveahighpotentialforhuman

toxicityindi

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Global Toxicity