Tourists warned to stay away from contaminated water around Jervis Bay
Warning signs have gone up near waterways around Jervis Bay on the NSW south coast advising people not to fish or eat seafood caught in the creeks because of possible contamination from firefighting chemicals.
The pollution comes from fire-retardant foams, used for firefighting at two nearby military bases, which contain per- and poly-fluoroalkyl chemicals (PFAS) unable to be broken down in the environment.
Department of Defence testing released last week showed toxins had leached into waterways and spread via the sewer network, with the most serious pollution affecting Marys Creek, which has since been closed for humans.
The Defence Department said there were no consistent links between PFAS and diseases such as cancer and that advice to limit exposure was given as a precaution.
“People have probably booked their campsite for this coming Christmas and I don’t know if it will have an impact … it probably scares people away a bit,” resident Jack Hampton told Fairfax Media.
Sheridan Randall, 11th December 2018
