2020: CFS Brukunga (South Australia) – PFAS

CFS Brukunga State Training Centre

The South Australian Country Fire Service (CFS) 17 Feb 2020

PFAS is a universal acronym given to more than 3,000 man-made fluorinated organic chemicals. PFAS primarily refers to per-fluoroalkyl and poly-fluoroalkyl substances, but can also include perfluorooctane (PFOS), perflurooctane acid (PFOA) and perfluorinated chemicals (PFC).

PFAS at Brukunga

The CFS is undertaking environmental assessments to determine whether the historical use of firefighting foam that contained PFAS has impacted the groundwater and surface water in the vicinity of the CFS Brukunga State Training Centre and Dawesley Creek.

The CFS has engaged environmental consultants GHD to undertake groundwater and surface water monitoring to assess on-site and off-site PFAS contamination. The results of the investigations completed to date indicate that PFAS compounds have been identified:

  • in groundwater beneath and in the vicinity of the CFS State Training Centre, limited to the Brukunga Pyrites Mine area; and
  • in surface water and sediment of Dawesley Creek extending south from the CFS State Training Centre to the South Eastern Freeway.

Further investigations of surface water in Dawesley Creek south of the South Eastern Freeway are underway to assess the extent of PFAS contamination further downstream.