Tarago community 'outraged' over lead decontamination delays

The contamination, publicly revealed in March 2020, was promised to be cleared by March, 2022 but Transport for NSW (TfNSW) conceded work had not yet started.

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The information was revealed after a community member sought an update on the work.

"As a community member and parent of school children, I'm absolutely disgusted that TfNSW has not bothered to remediate the sites and update people," said a resident, who did not wish to be named.

"...There is outrage and everyone is sick of the contempt with which we're being treated."

Tarago and District Progress Association Inc president, Adrian Ellson has also described the situation as "totally unacceptable."

"It looks like TfNSW is ducking, covering and running and that's not a good image," he said.

TfNSW has apologised for the delay and said the department would endeavour to keep the community informed.

A spokesperson said the EPA had strict guidelines for dealing with the removal of lead contamination in NSW.

"TfNSW) is working closing with the EPA in developing our Voluntary Management Proposal (VMP) to mitigate all risks in accordance with (the Authority's) requirements. The first three stages of the VMP have been completed," a spokesperson said.

"In March this year the EPA approved our updated VMP. This (document) provides our revised timeline for remediation.

"We expect to complete the planning, environmental approvals and procurement stage for the VMP by late 2022. This is subject to obtaining the necessary third-party planning approvals such as the development application."

The spokesperson said the department expected to complete the remediation within 18 months of receiving the these approvals. The community has been told it could start in December.

They feared that the material, once chemically immobilised, would be disposed of at Veolia's eco-precinct. The department says the location, at a "suitably licensed waste facility" will be determined in the next planning stage.

The Post understands that the EPA advised TfNSW to better define the extent of offsite contamination before remediation started.

The lead was believed to have been deposited in the corridor during the former Woodlawn Mine's operation. The mine closed in 1998 but in 2015, TfNSW disturbed the lead in 2019 when it was working on an extension of Veolia Environmental Services' rail siding at Tarago, behind the public school.

In February/March, 2020, it was revealed that while the department knew about the contamination since 2015, it did not inform the community and Goulburn Mulwaree Council. It came to light after the EPA issued a draft declaration of significantly contaminated land in February, 2020.

By April that year, consultants Gamboll Australia, had completed more than 500 lead tests in and around Tarago. While most were within "low and acceptable limits," according to deputy director of the regional and outer metropolitan division, Carol-Anne Nelson, four areas of concern remained, including south of the old station master's cottage.

A family was moved out of the master's cottage after a one-year-old child was found to have an 'unacceptably high lead level.'

Other monitoring, by Greencap, at Tarago Public School, showed elevated lead levels in five bubblers and in a kitchen tap but did not draw a conclusion about the source. They stated that the levels were manageable and recommended the bubblers, which drew on tank water, be capped.

The parent said the school was still relying on bottled water.

She has also sought to find out whether the results of follow-up testing in the town and at the school.

"In the last update they said they would do groundwater testing every three months. These stopped in mid-2021, so who knows what's washed down since then. The school yard has also been dug up for a playground," she said.

"...In the past two years since we've been told about the contamination we've had flooding and massive windstorms."

A TfNSW spokesperson said monitoring of surface water and air quality in Tarago was undertaken over 12 months.

"This was conducted across a range of weather conditions that are considered representative of historic weather variability. (It) concluded that the risks to the community and environment were low across the monitoring period," she said.

But the parent claimed the department had shown 'negligence and contempt' for the community and another two years was too long to wait for remediation.

Mr Ellson said he was disappointed to find nothing had been done. He has written to Goulburn MP Wendy Tuckerman to arrange a meeting with her, the remediation manager, acting council general manager, Matt O'Rourke, and himself.

"We need to have some serious discussion about what's happening," he said.

"...We're a bit angry that school students are still drinking bottled water."

Mayor Peter Walker and Mr O'Rourke have separately taken up the matter with Ms Tuckerman and the department.

TfNSW said the community would be updated "soon" with another public information session planned for October.

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