MEDIA RELEASE 17-03-2010
Peter Garrett’s last chance to stop scuttling on March 27.
GOVERNMENT tests for PCBs on the ex-HMAS Adelaide are scientifically flawed, according to the international Basel Action Network (BAN).
“The PCB sampling report is insufficient,” Mr Colby Self of BAN, based in Washington, USA, said.“
They tested for the presence of six different PCB congeners, yet there are 209 PCB congeners that could pose risks.”
State Minister for Planning and Lands Tony Kelly published a media release on March 6 stating: “independent tests found no traces of PCBs on the vessel”.
But the areas tested would not be expected to contain PCBs, Mr Self said.
“They took a mere five samples, all on insulation. Insulation does not commonly contain PCBs, it contains asbestos.”
“PCBs are commonly found in the insulating material in electric cabling, not wall insulation or duct insulation.”
Additionally, the samples used in the test were collected by McMahons Services: the same company that was contracted to clean the ship: this is a conflict of interest, NSAG said.
It is only a signature by Federal Minister for Environment Protection, Peter Garrett that prevents the scuttling going ahead: he has to sign the Adelaide’s sea-dumping certificate.
And with footage of the Adelaide on ABC television’s Stateline showing cut cabling which typically contains PCBS still onboard the ship, this scuttling must be stopped.
“While the cabling was not sampled on the Adelaide, it was sampled on its sister ship, the Oliver Hazard Perry, which was dismantled in the US in 2006, and [this] contained PCBs in excess of 50 ppm,” Mr Self said.
I believe this information is sufficient to suggest the electric cabling that remains on board the Adelaide is contaminated with PCBs that will leach into the marine environment and pose unreasonable risks to human health, living resources and the marine environment, a violation of the London Convention and London Protocol, and thus, a violation of the Environmental Protection (Sea Dumping) Act of 1981,“ Mr Self said.
Interestingly, Tony Kelly said in parliament on February 24 2010: "I have been advised that all PCBs, lead and other toxic materials have been removed”. The Minister then subsequently ordered the PCBs test in the first week of March. The report was released on March 6.
NSAG believes the Government was aware it would be too difficult to remove all PCBs without interfering with the structural integrity of the vessel.
Therefore the contractor, McMahon Services, was legally covered by being instructed to perform:
‘Removal of all fuels, oils and greases (hydrocarbons); removal of other hazardous materials including heavy metals, batteries, asbestos, PCBs, and paints containing heavy metals and other marine-hazardous material.’
Mr Self said:
“It may be significant that it does not say 'removal of all other hazardous materials’…
NSAG spokesperson Michelle Meares said: "The other missing piece is this. If the ship goes down, how long will it take for problems to develop? Based on our research we think it is just a couple of years.”
No Ship Action group believes it is impossible to remove all PCBs without taking the seven-storey warship apart. Because of the year in which the Adelaide was built (1977) it is expected to contain many PCBs, an extremely stable fire-resistant compound, valued in case of a battle strike.
In 1976, the US Environmental Protection Agency enacted the Toxic Substances Control Act, which regulated the use of PCBS. But it was not in force until 1978, and only enforced marking and disposal of PCB contaminated material. The PCB ban rule wasn’t fully enforced until July 1979; when it included a ban in manufacturing and use. This was too late for the Adelaide, which was built in 1977.
The only thing the Government and Avoca Beach residents agree on is that PCBs are deadly.
But if the Government is wrong about the ship being PCB-free, Avoca residents have most to lose. Generations will be swimming and fishing in PCBs over the next century as the ship breaks up.