A VALLA Beach conservationist has renewed concerns that logging in Little Newry State Forest is disturbing arsenic deposits left over from old mines, leading to the contamination of waterways.
Last September, after the concerns were first raised, the Environment Protection Authority (EPA) conducted a pre-harvest inspection with Forestry Corporation NSW (FCNSW) to evaluate risks.
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It led to FCNSW voluntarily implementing a 30-metre exclusion zone around the former mine sites.
The EPA said forestry work was limited, took place away from known mineshafts, and is unlikely to have affected arsenic levels or mobilised metals into waterways in the area.
A follow-up EPA site inspection on 16 January, “found no compliance issues and confirmed that harvesting activity was unusually small”.
Valla resident Jodie Amytage was not convinced and had water samples tested.
She says they show dangerous levels of arsenic contamination in local water supplies.
In response, the EPA told Ms Armytage, “The National Water Quality Guideline criteria for aquatic ecosystem protection, refers to the two species of Arsenic, being Arsenic III (Arsenite), and Arsenic V (Arsenate), not Total Arsenic.
“Whilst total arsenic concentrations within the sample data could suggest low guideline exceedances, the EPA cannot accurately assess any risk to aquatic ecosystem health without analysing AIII & AV.”
The EPA was contacted to find out if it had conducted its own water tests.
The response was similar to the one Ms Armytage received.
“Of the 19 samples, 10 were slightly above the national drinking water limit,” it said in part.
“However, arsenic occurs naturally in the area’s rocks, soils, and sediments and the creeks are not used for drinking water supplies.
“Soil test results were all within safe guideline levels.”
Ms Armytage told News Of The Area, “it seems that the EPA is saying that, if the source of arsenic is natural, the thresholds do not apply.”
She said it was already known that there was arsenic present and that the western side of the highway was extensively mined; and that a 30-metre exclusion zone is not enough when not all the mines have been located.
“If there is natural arsenic present, why was logging permitted?
“The EPA is basically saying that it is up to us to prove there is a problem, which is expensive for a community group.”
“Surely it is their job to prove there is not a problem?”
By Andrew VIVIAN