UNAUSTRALIAN DEFENCE FORCE GUILTY OF POLLUTING AUSTRALIAN WATERS

THE UN-AUSTRALIAN "DEFENCE" FORCE NEEDS TO LEAVE IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN.

ADF blamed for creek contamination
AAP October 2, 2009, 11:55 am

Queensland environmental authorities have issued the Australian Defence Force with a notice to clean up a creek west of Brisbane after high levels of chemicals were found in it.
High concentrations of chromium, cadmium, mercury and nickel were last month found in Warrill Creek, near the Amberley RAAF base.
Department of Environment and Resource Management senior official Dr Glen Brown said checks had shown the contamination stemmed from the sewage treatment plant at Amberley.
But an investigation found no obvious impact on fish or other species.
Dr Brown said defence had agreed to a set of measures to address the contamination.
"Defence have agreed to undertake a comprehensive investigation into the cause of the contamination in Warrill Creek, risk to downstream users and identify remediation actions they will undertake," Dr Brown said in a statement.
Defence is expected to provide a report on the clean-up action to the government by November 30.
Dr Brown said test results showed the contamination was contained within Warrill Creek and the nearby Bremer River showed no sign of contamination.
He said cadmium had been recorded at five times the safe, or "trigger", guideline for fish, and nickel was at double the safe level.
"Exceeding trigger limits does not necessarily mean that harm has occurred however it does mean that further testing needs to be conducted," Dr Brown said.
The creek water is used mostly for industrial and stock watering purposes.
Queensland Health is working with environmental authorities to test whether there are any human health impacts, and Biosecurity Queensland is checking on livestock.
But authorities have already warned locals not to drink or enter the water in Warrill Creek.
Dr Brown said people were advised to stay away from Warrill Creek until a full investigation had been completed.
The industrial waste flows were stopped on September 7.
Queensland Environment Minister Kate Jones told ABC Radio on Friday that investigations by the Department of Environment and Resource Management (DERM) had found the base was responsible for the incident.
"The good news is that our investigations show there has been no damage to fish life or other species in the water," Ms Jones said.
"It wouldn't have been dangerous, as I understand, for stock to drink from. But from the moment that we were advised from the defence force we went out there and advised the public not to go near the creek."
The chemicals had leached into the creek after the disposal of batteries but had not reached the Bremer River, Ms Jones said.