Locals unaware beach closed over health risk

Sydney: So, there’s this beach near Sydney Airport that folks have been using without a clue it’s closed. Tower Beach has been off-limits for two years because of some nasty stuff in the water.

Turns out, the groundwater there is contaminated with these chemicals called PFAS, which are linked to cancer. Yikes, right?

People like Terry Daly, a local resident, are pretty upset. He said the signs warning about swimming and fishing are hard to see and don’t explain why the beach is closed.

Families, swimmers, and even plane spotters hang out there, totally unaware of the dangers lurking beneath the surface.

Terry only found out the real reason for the closure after some digging. He learned from an airport employee that the signs were put up as a precaution while the NSW Environmental Protection Authority looks into the contamination.

It’s frustrating because the local government hasn’t done much to warn people. The airport leases the land from the federal government, which seems to be the hold-up.

The NSW EPA is on it, investigating how PFAS got there, mainly from old firefighting foams used at the airport and nearby industrial sites.

They’ve found PFAS in the water and even in some fish. The EPA has been pushing the federal government to take action to protect the community.

Since 2006, there have been restrictions on using groundwater in the area, and in 2018, they even advised against eating fish from Botany Bay.

Airservices Australia, the agency responsible for firefighting at airports, is under pressure to sort this out. They’re currently doing a detailed investigation, but it won’t wrap up until 2025.

In the meantime, the Australian Airports Association is raising concerns about how slowly things are moving. They want to make sure everyone’s safe and that the issue gets the attention it deserves.