A DISASTER THAT RUINED OUR LIVES!
The day was finally here. I had been working three jobs to make "The Great Aussie Dream" of owning and moving into our own home a reality.
With my two healthy daughters, Corrine & Sherree, who were aged eight and nine at the time, moved into our dream home in November 1997. We had never been so happy in our lives!
But...Our Dream became a Nightmare
Infections in our chest, nose, throat, eyes and mouth.
Poor and failing memory.
We were sleeping up to twenty hours per day.
Were all suffered severe headaches.
Skin rashes.
The gazebo and pergola turned green and began to rot.
The grass, all ferns, and certain shrubs died.
The fishpond needed continual cleaning.
Our goldfish and canaries died.
Light bulbs exploded.
Electrical items fused.
Our dogs sick.
We were also having so much trouble with the pool that we called for expert advice from several pool companies� specialists.
The rapid algae growth would form whilst we watched.
They all emphasised their conclusions that the only way to keep the pool clean was to stop the source of the debris.This proved to be was a continual battle, as black mulch, white dust and other debris landed in huge quantities on the surface of the water. This mean't I had to replace the cell in the pool regularly. The swimming pool and those of our neighbours, were regularly pool-shocked and scrubbed; only to find that by the next morning, the water would be green again. Pool shocking is a treatment given to the pools, using extremely heavy doses of Chlorine.
Imagine our horror, when told we had been swimming in toxic water!
Some of these symptoms manifested as:
Headaches, nausea and vomiting headaches and rashes.
A recurrence of childhood asthma attacks.
All official maps, including those that I viewed at the City of Stirling were clearly designated "Public Open Space." We had been misled.
We accessed the information concerning who was responsible for this planning disaster.
THE COURT GOVERNMENT!
Following this failure, I tried to get answers from Soil Land and Atlas, the occupiers of the �Public Open Space�. The source of where the dust and debris came from. Approaching these Companies, we pleaded with them to stop operations because of the impact it was having on the health of our families.
Of course, they were unable to comply with my request. However, they did tell me to contact the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), so began a �merry-go-round�...Finally, D.E.P attended my home. This was only because of many; many phone calls, letters & faxes. They took photos of the damage, but refused to take any samples for testing.
One doctor, Dr. Rob McEVOY who is a respected allergy specialist here in Western Australia, he asked me me what I wanted him to do? Ride a white horse down the street & save everyone! He refused to treat me, stating it was a legal case and that it was his choice whether to become involved and would do so by treating me. I believe all doctors pledge themselves to the �Hippocratic Oath� on completion of his or her training. How does he compromise this Oath with this sort of attitude?
The doctor also asked my daughter when she was affected, did she come out in green & purple spots?
What a beautiful response from Perth�s top allergy specialist! A hearing specialist had referred us , as Sherree�s allergies were causing severe hearing losses.
The shuffling game with all of its frustration began!
One thing we learnt was that government departments are very good at�REDIRECTION and BUCKPASSING! Our treatment and trying to find someone who would listen has caused extreme stress, exacerbating our health and medical problems.
As we were not quite sure what we should test for, the laboratory suggested testing for heavy metals.
I also wondered how a soil blending opperation that caused so many problems to residents was just shuffled around the site. And how effective any pollution was locked up in the brick making and concrete works using materials from this site. And If it is not then the spreading of this pollution is reprehensible, especially when sanctioned by government approval.
NOTE: Putting the dust sampler under the gazebo meant the sampling was flawed as the as the gazebo gave some partial protection from dust particles.
They did not know how to re-set a flow meter, so it stood still for five days.
They used the wrong paper for a particular chemical being tested.
They used the wrong paper for the high volume sampler.
There were analytical errors in most of the tests.
And blanks showing more toxins than the test results.
It was quite safe.
At the same time we would argue that if D.E.P. maintained there is no data, then they could not justify their claim that it was environmentally safe because there is no proof to deem it so.
Are the exposure standards taking into consideration�"Undue Annoyance", Irritation or guard against narcosis.
EXPOSURE STANDARDS DO NOT REPRESENT "NO EFFECT LEVELS" WHICH GUARANTEE PROTECTION.
Under complex contamination conditions where substances causing health effects have not been identified, applying exposure limits cannot protect us. It is necessary to adopt processes & technical measures ensuring maximum contamination & exposure & to apply biological monitoring rather than to concentrate all efforts on monitoring.
When there is no specific standard, low toxicity is recommended. (10mg/M3) Inspirable Dust�
14.26 (NOHSC) states not all dust have assigned exposure standards. However, it should NOT be assumed that this indicates these unlisted dusts do not represent a health hazard.
14.27 In addition: High concentrations may cause unpleasant dust in the ears, eyes and upper respiratory tract.
h3>Regulations also state that a small proportion of the community who are exposed to concentrations around or below the exposure standard may suffer mild and transitory discomfort. Even smaller numbers may exhibit symptoms of illness.
*The subjective reactions of the human body, based on a study of the dose-effect & dose-response relationships.
*The physical & chemical properties. Nature & Quantity.
*The results of experiments with Lab. Animals. E.g. irritation, sensitation.
*Epidemiological investigation & case studies.
*Medical examinations.
Many factors also needed to be considered when determining the degree of hazard and in this instance this has not been the case... i.e.
*The type of particulate
*Its biological affect
*The concentrations of the particulate
*The particle size
*The duration of exposure
*Chemicals involved and the possible Eutectic Effects.
(Eutectic means that when two or more metals, which might dissolve or melt at a higher temperature, are combined under certain circumstances they could possibly dissolve or melt at a lower temperature.)
There is a need for scientific research to examine any evidence whether such a condition might be capable of happening.It may be possible for a eutectic condition to exist, as the particulates are smaller than can be seen with the naked eye.
Standards are based on 8 hours of exposure & 16 hrs between shifts to eliminate absorption. (We digested this 24 hours a day 7 days a week).
Static Samples (Fixed Location) are of limited use and should not be regarded as indicative of the actual exposure.(The DEP tested in two locations only)
Application of biological monitoring can be useful in identifying unknown or unexpected exposures, which cannot be predicted from atmospheric monitoring.
Odour threshold should be treated with caution and may not indicate a safe or hazard environment, its use is limited and should not replace objective airborne concentrations.It may not bear a relationship to harmful biological effects.
Exposure standards are concentrations of single PURE substances. A number of contaminants increase the health hazard. Mixtures require considerable caution.
I became very annoyed at the Government departments that are supposed to be there to protect us. I had been forced to study environmental law to find out the truth. What they were saying was no longer making sense.
I was angry that they had only tested for heavy metals �� I demanded microbiological investigations but the Minister of Health dismissed these!
I receive a disability pension and I was unable to live in my own home, visit friends & family and do the things a normal person should be able to do!
I cannot dress in the same clothes, nor be close to the ones I love. A once very healthy family was.... At times, Unable to walk, talk, or breathe when exposed to potting mix, algae, perfumes, petrol, sand, silica, aluminum, dust, pesticides, all non-organic foods, man-made fibres, woods, glues, paints, and I am still discovering more things of which I am intolerant.
I have been advised to find a home built free of chemicals, in a chemical-free environment.
My children have missed more than a year of school through sickness and I have not been able to work since I lost my job not long after I moved in due to non-attendance.
THEN WHY WERE THINGS CHANGED & MOVED AROUND. I am sure they didn't do this just to please me!
THIS IS AN ENVIRONMENTAL DISASTER that the Government needs to fix up. A planning disaster that the Government needs to stop passing the buck and deal with it.
Don't we have a right to live in an environment free from hazards?
Do we have a right to proper monitoring and a right to enforcement on any laws?
Do I have any rights as an Australian?
Do my children have a right to a happy, healthy & safe environment?
Or...Are we an experiment on how close people can live next to toxins?
�Our World� Australia or Western Australia, should be a good place in which to live, and to make a living for all of us and for our children and their children.�
How can they do this when they are misused, and there is no one to protect us against their mis-use?
Contaminated Sites Bill 2000. Draft Copy
And last but not least.....
EMAIL ME IF YOU CAN HELP :-)
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Something out there was making us sick!
(See our appalling conditions...Click here)
Dying Vegetation
The bushland behind the house, once so thick, green and healthy-looking, began to die. There had been many fires during the summer months and I had noticed an increased amount of dust in and around my home.
Toxic Water
Eventually, our pool was deemed unfit for swimming in!
Toxic Conditions also affecting visitors
As time went by, friends visiting our home noticed they became ill following a visit. Some symptoms appeared immediately, while others took perhaps a day or two to show.
Inquiry and Research into the Area.
We made inquiries in to the history of the area, anecdotal and records showed that we had bought a home next-door to a contaminated site! A neigbour who knew the area well,informed me this site behind my home,
less than 100 metre�s away,
was used to dump toxic waste; blend soil; and to make bricks & concrete!
Our dreams were now shattered!
I attended a Balga Ward meeting and asked Tony Vellelonga the mayor to have the maps changed, warning people it was a toxic area and advise the consequences. He promised he would.
I have since found out he changed them twice. But they remained blank for some time. WHY? BUT..The council had agreed in a meeting way back in 1996 to put a sign out the front of the TIP to let people know it was there! Why was this never done? And why weren't the maps marked in the first place?
Question of Blameworthiness or lacking Responsibility
This raises questions about whether the relevant Government or Local Government Departments believed that by changing the designation it would abrogate government responsibility and its duty of care to the community. I would think not.
Why was the change to the area not advertised in the local media and the community asked to respond about their concerns for the toxic waste dumped on a Public Open Space. Is it a cover up by vested interests?
By covering up, this information by not bringing it to public notice is to deny potential buyers the right to know the toxicity and environmental problems of the area.
Government Abrogating Responsibility?
With government departments abrogating their responsibility for the environment and the people who bought into the area in good faith, we believe constitutes a failure of its duty of care.Had people known of the problems, they would have had the choice to buy there or not.
Already people have become afraid to speak up because they fear that without the government doing anything to help them, their properties devaluing dramatically.
This raises a question of potential class action for compensation, not only financial, but also environmental and health wise.
Continued Search for Help
I began ringing the Department of Environmental Protection, but they failed to respond or chose to ignore my calls.
Officers from D.E.P. advised that testing the site served no useful purpose. They claimed that to do so would require at least one gram of dust, to conduct the required tests.
(For those of us who are more familiar with imperial weights and measures 1 gram = 0.035274oz.)
This amount would not be difficult to collect from the dust that blew into the house from the machinery working or from the winds blowing across the site!
The dust continued to fly over and through our homes with the D.E.P still maintaining it would be too hard to prove the source of the dust.
Forced into Self-help
WE were forced to use our own initiative, using amber vision glasses plus yellow filters on a camera so you could see the evidence of respirable particulates. A yellow lens enhances the background, picking up detail in the foreground, showing respirable particulates invisible to the naked eye, engulfing the area.
Seeking Medical Help
When we tried to get help for our own health problems, we found some doctors declining to become involved, joining with Government Departments in being generally unhelpful, if not positively obstructive!
Water Testing
My neighbour and I approached the Health Department to have the water samples we had brought tested for contaminants. The Health Department refused our request and directed us to the D.E.P. The DEP redirected us to the Health Dept.
Independent Laboratory Testing
My neighbour, Debbie and I felt we had no choice but to go to an independent laboratory to test the soil for us. Debbie had been growing garden produce & needed to know if it was free of pollution and contaminants and therefore safe to eat. It was important to have tests done on her produce (grapes), our water and combined soil samples.
DEP regrets that they have to help
The D.E.P. eventually announced they would conduct tests! They put a high-volume dust sampler in my backyard, under a gazebo to collect the invisible respirable dust that we were inhaling. This was after they had moved the current working area further away from our home!
Accuracy of Testing Prejudiced
Unfortunately, D.E.P. testing accuracy prejudiced as D.E.P. had so many problems with their testing procedures and use of the high-volume sampler, a machine to collect the fine particulates)
BUT....
The D.E.P. claimed, despite all errors they had tested adequately and there was nothing wrong with the environment.
They maintained each individual substance tested �safe�. However, they had no data on the combined (synergystic) effects of these substances.
Still...the problems comtinue
Gas lingered like a blanket at my front door, which caused other people to phone the Gas Company and complain of gas leaks. Concurrent with the dust problem we had to put up with noxious smelling fumes, which caused vomiting, vertigo and fainting. The bushland behind the house, once so thick, green and healthy-looking continued to die, revealing more of the ugly tip face.
West Australian Air-Dust Regulations.
There were no air-dust regulations in W.A.!
I believe New Zealand and USA recommendations are used in W.A. but as they are recommendations only, then they need not be complied with. So�... a formula was then developed by the Health Department to calculate these �ALERT LEVELS�
This was accomplished by the Health Department receiving a list of numbers over the phone so that they might calculate alert levels�..The figures looked good but what was the basis of developing any standard? Are these calculations enforceable by legislation or regulations?
With no data available on anything�. Well, according to the claims of both of these departments,
I decided to do my own research!
[ NOHSC : 1003 (1985) ] National Exposure Standards.
According to the recommendation by the National Exposure Standards�....
They needed to consider biological variations & individual susceptibility.
When exposure limits are established allowances should be made for:
*Scientific knowledge with regard to all the hazards associated with exposure to the substances in question.
Did the D.E.P consider these regulations?
Exposure standards only consider absorption via inhalation & are only valid on the condition that significant absorption cannot occur. In some instances, dermal absorption can pose a greater danger than inhalation.(The DEP tested for respirable dust, this was certainly able to enter the skin...and our skin is our last line of deffence)
I claim that their testing was incomplete, and I demand more tests to ascertain what toxins were in that site and what has caused so many people to be very ill. I want a public enquiry into the management of this case! Many Government Departments have failed!!
Unfortunatley this may be too late as myself & many others have been diagnosed with Multiple Chemical Sensitivities.Our problems are now complex, and according to Professor Harper (Occupational Physician, Health Sciences, Curtin University) requires help beyond normal medical intervention. This includes a disabling respiratory, constitutional, neurological, and muscular-skeletal symptom; we have emotional symptoms of anxiety and distress (who wouldn�t); and disruption to my children�s education and social development.
YET! According to the Minister for Health, John Day, MCS is NOT an illness, however, it disables me.
New Laws for Contaminated Sites
Contaminated sites must be an important issue for the Government. They have tried to protect us by establishing standards and rules for land assessment & management. New regulations and standards are now in draft for public comment and they are making changes of licensing conditions and operations for this site via a new works approval. The soil blending operation has now been moved off site, rubbish is now being bailed & redirected to another site but still the DEP maintains there was nothing ever wrong.
Someone needs to review the philosophy and value statement of the Department of Environmental Protection....which currently states
Here are some more links related to this story
Are the government corrupt? Minutes of the story in Paliament.
Click here for the forum
