Questions Asked of NSW Health - 10 Sept 01:

1. Does NSW Health have an equivalent to the US ATSDR (Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry) Minimal Risk Levels list? (See http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/mrls.html  for the US ATSDR list) Is it available on the internet? Can it be made available to the people of Rhodes?

2. I am told that "NSW Health has recently advised that the provisional (it is subject to a national review process) TDI for dioxins is 1 to 4 picagrams TEQ per kilogram bodyweight per day." Is this available on the NSW Health web site or elsewhere on the Internet (I have searched and cant find it)? How does it compare to the US EPA Draft Dioxin Reassessment? ( See http://www.epa.gov/ncea/pdfs/dioxin/dioxreass.htm   ) Is there any paper available on the internet which analyses the differences between the NSW Health provisional TDI assessment and the US EPA Dioxin Reassessment?

3. Are there more detailed health statistics for the Rhodes area, or eg census districts or postcodes than the Local Government averages shown on the NSW Health website cancer maps? Will they be made available to the people of Rhodes?
There is anecdotal evidence of a seemingly high incidence of cancer in the area.
I understand that someone at Concord Hospital did a study in the area recently on I think chest problems and am aware of a PH D thesis by Lillian Hayes which concludes that average life expectancy in the western suburbs is lower than elsewhere in Sydney.

4. When the AGL site was remediated AGL funded some sort of a health study. You mentioned the possibility of a study at the meeting at Rhodes in March. What if anything does NSW Health propose / recommend in relation to health studies in the Rhodes area in relation to historical causes of illness
/death and what is proposed before and after the remediation?

5. There have been reports of a number of claims of health problems among workers from the Olympic remediation and from the earlier remediation of the Union Carbide site at Rhodes in about 1986-9. Can NSW Health confirm or deny such claims of remediation worker ill health? Will NSW Health be involved in OH&S issues for workers on the sites and on adjoining sites particularly eg on Orica if it is under development or completed and occupied while Union Carbide is being remediated? (the lack of coordination is an increasing cause of concern as each landowner is pursuing different strategies on a different time line)

6. I understand that there were 30 houses near Dulux at Cabarita that had there roof dust and topsoil removed during the Dulux remediation process. I also understand that there was a similar lead based plant at Berger Paints Orica at Rhodes. Further I understand that a number of houses in Marquet street had some remedial works regarding contamination. What is NSW Health position in relation to the need for roof dust and soil testing (with a view to determining need for remedial action) within a radius of say 400 metres distance from the boundaries of all of the sites at Rhodes which have had lead, dioxin, VOC's and Chlorinated VOC's? This would include all or parts of Harrison Ave, Alfred Street, Phoenix Ave, Killoola St, Blaxland Road, Cavell Ave, Leeds St and West Llewellyn St. I note that the City of Canada Bay has approved rezoning of houses at Alfred Street and there are potential OH&S issues in their demolition given the former uses of the Tulloch's Phoenix Iron Works and the Berger Paints plant.

7. The EPA Harbourwatch only extends west to near Iron Cove. [Additional Note, 22 November 01: Harbourwatch monitors to Cabarita Park. The monhtly reports show Cabarita Park is much improved.) A study by the institute at Manly shows that the tidal flushing of the middle reaches of the Parramatta River (which is not covered by Harbourwatch) is significantly reduced compared to the main harbour (which is covered by Harbourwatch). NSW State of the Environment 2000 shows that Homebush Bay had sewage/nutrient problems sufficient to cause algal bloom problems and the Sydney Water EPA licence application documents show that Homebush Bay has a significantly higher pollution problem than all the river and bays to the East. There are numerous sailing & rowing clubs and Sea Scout organisations and beaches (eg Cabarita Park) in the middle reaches of the Parramatta River not covered by Harbourwatch [Note: See note above re cabarita Park]. There are also a number of boat ramps. Sailing in particular is a "primary" contact sport, particularly for children learning and both Sea Scouts do sailing. The local community has expressed concerns about the potential for pollution of the Parramatta River during the remediation of soil and sediments and during construction and occupation. There have already been breaches of the rivers and Foreshore Improvement Act on the Orica site. Council of the City of Canada Bay has called for the extension of Harbourwatch to Rhodes/Meadowbank just downstream of the entrance to Homebush Bay.
What is NSW Health's position in relation to the failure of EPA Harbourwatch
to cover the middle reaches of the Parramatta river?

8. NSW Health has recently released a report into metal in fish and the NSW
Government has indicated it will acquire the commercial fishing licences in
Lake Macquarie and Botany Bay. Because of the focus on catches through the fish market, the report does not even mention the risks to amateur anglers in the Parramatta River where commercial fin fishing is banned west of the Gladesville bridge and all fishing is banned in Homebush Bay, although it does mention the risks to amateur anglers in Lake Macquarie. I note that
people buying through the fish markets may be getting a mixed source of
fish, but amateur anglers are likely to be returning to the same river reach
week after week. What is NSW Health's position in relation to amateur
anglers using the Parramatta River? When were fish last comprehensively
tested by NSW Health in the Rhodes/Ryde area?

9. Given the extensive testing of the sediments of about half of Homebush
Bay opposite Union Carbide and the Meriton site, what is NSW Health's
position on testing at the northern end of the Peninsula and around the
Blaxland Rd boat ramp which is the area of likely greatest ingestion and
dermal risk from sediments given the existing and proposed recreational
/open space uses in that area? What is NSW Health's position on the need for
detailed testing of the sediments opposite the Orica site, given the
previous uses of the site and the reclamation of portion of that site by
chemical factory owners as per Union Carbide site? What is NSW Health's
position on the proposed remediation not involving the metals spread over
the floor of the Bay and in particular the hotspots at testing station 5?
What is NSW Health's position on the need for testing in the areas where
Haslams and Powells Creeks enter the bay, given that these are generally
areas of deposition and the history of pollution of these two creeks and
their catchments?