Toxic chemicals have been detected in ground and surface water near a Queensland power station, with some sites well above standard drinking levels.
CS Energy, which runs the Callide Power Station at Biloela, south of Rockhampton, announced that toxic PFAS chemicals had been detected at a number of sites near the power station during a voluntary testing program.
Test results from some sample locations on Callide Creek were above guideline levels for drinking water and species protection, it said.
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About 20 landholders live along Callide Creek.
Results from one groundwater monitoring location near the Linkes Road crossing detected PFAS levels less than two times over the drinking water guideline, requiring the company to work with Queensland Health.
None of the sample sites were on private property.
Brett Smith from Callide Power Station said CS Energy was taking a precautionary approach and informing landholders potentially affected.
“The health of the community and our employees is CS Energy’s key priority and will guide our actions,†Mr Smith said.
“Going forward we will continue monitoring and testing of water samples from the surrounding catchment in consultation with the local community.â€
PFAS (per-and poly-fluoroalkyl substances) are a group of manufactured chemicals present in firefighting foams historically used at places like civil airports, defence bases, ports and large industrial sites and are found in common products such as non-stick cooking pans, fabric, furniture and food packaging,
The health effects of exposure to PFAS are not fully understood but the chemicals have been linked to cancer, thyroid hormone disruption and low birth weights.
CS Energy stopped using PFAS following a nationwide ban in 2019 and described its previous use of the chemical as “infrequentâ€.
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