Community Meeting on Environmental Health Issues in Royal George Dr Chrissie Pickin

1. Community Meeting on Environmental Health Issues in Royal George Dr Chrissie Pickin Deputy Director Public Health

2. Why are we here? • To listen to your concerns about your and your family’s health • To let you know what we think will happen next • Ask you how you want to get involved in the investigation • Plan what to do and when to come up next

3. Your concerns from last week? • Why weren’t we told earlier- was it kept a secret? • What exactly is the problem? • Will it make us ill? Will we get better if it has? • What will happen now? • Any other questions or concerns?

4. Who is involved? PEHS: Public & Environmental Health Services NMC: Northern Midlands Council Management Plan Royal George Residents EPA: Environmental Protection Authority MRT: Mineral Resources Tasmania

5. The History – this time around • Mid March – we received an email from NMC expressing concerns • Collected samples early May ( dry) • River samples OK • Met with EPA and MRT to discuss the matter and the past • 17th June took more samples after heavy rain. Noted residents still taking river water and only 4 had rainwater tanks • 2nd July got the results • River samples showed v high levels of arsenic, lead and cadmium • Aluminium and iron also but these not a health hazard • Advised MRT and NMC of the need to provide clean drinking water before the next heavy rain event • Tank arrived 22nd July • Letter to residents 23rd July and to local Drs end of July • Continued to meet with EPA and MRT

6. LONGER HISTORY • 1880s – area discovered to contain minerals • 1911 – Tin Mine Company founded • 1922 – Mine closed • Lots happened between 1922 and 1995 ………….

7. Mining Resources Tasmania • 1995 Agreed to set up Rehabilitation of Abandoned Mining Lands Trust Fund ( from mining companies royalties) • 2005 MRT started investigating remediation options for the Royal George site • 2005 MRT advised NMC all residential water off-takes to be relocated upstream of tailings • 2006 Pit & Sherry report • 2007 residents advised not to drink the water from the river • 2008 MRT started a 3 yr program to apply lime and fertiliser prior to attempting revegetation • MRT will put a remediation proposal to the Trust Fund on 9th September 2010

8. So back to health issues • What are we concerned about- will it make you ill? • Should you be worried? • What we want you to do now?

9. What are we concerned about? • Hazardous heavy metals are in the area – this is not so unusual and is not necessarily a health problem.

10. So we need to know more about • How often the river water is contaminated • How contaminated the soil is • Is anything getting into your vegetables or fish • So we have organised an “environmental monitoring program” • Whether you have absorbed any metals already?

11. Has it or will it do you or your children any harm • Blood tests today to see if you have absorbed any lead in your body ( from contaminated water, soil, paint, hobbies etc) • Like it 10 or under for adults & 5 or under for children. • Also test for cadmium. Could be high if you smoke or ex smoker as tobacco contains cadmium • Results will go to your GP and to us. You can get your results from your GP in about 2 – 3 weeks time • If these are normal then you haven’t absorbed enough to cause you any harm

12. What about arsenic? • Harder to measure as it leaves your blood and urine very quickly • Two forms of arsenic- one harmless form is found in fish and seafood. Difficult for the test to distinguish so need to exclude fish and seafood from your diet before the test. • If your lead &cadmium are normal the arsenic will be too- as they are all mixed up together in the water and soil. • If you want a test for arsenic then let us know and we can arrange it. • Hair and toe nails tests not recommended by experts

13. If blood tests are all normal • Unlikely to come to any harm now or in the future • Still don’t drink the river water • Don’t eat soil! • Watch children • Wash hands often and always before you eat • Keep house free from mud and dust ( wet mop and vacuum often) • Wash your veggies with clean water • Take care with car batteries, lead paint and sinkers

14. If your blood tests aren’t normal • Doesn’t mean you been harmed • Everybody is exposed to heavy metals • Only toxic to humans at relatively high levels over a relatively long period of time • We will do further tests • We will interview you about how you live and what you do • We will arrange advice and treatment if necessary • We will link the environmental testing with the blood results to find a cause

15. Stuart Heggie- State Environmental Health Manager Talk about the environmental sampling program

16. Monitoring program • Who is involved • Public and Environmental Health Services (DHHS) • Environment Protection Authority (EPA) • Northern Midlands Council • Mineral Resources Tasmania (MRT)

17. Monitoring program • When will monitoring begin • Phase One: Commences now until Christmas • Phase Two: Continued water monitoring after MRT improvements to check if improvements have worked • Phase Two (Optional): • Will depend on outcomes of Phase One • Will focus on specific issues from Phase One

19. Monitoring Program • What is being tested for • Arsenic • Aluminium • Cadmium • Chromium • Copper • Iron • Manganese • Nickel • Lead • Zinc • In all water, soil and food samples

20. Your involvement • Have we answered your questions for now? • We will put information as it comes in on our websitewww.dhhs.tas.gov.au/peh/current_public_health_issues • We will come back when we have some results to share with you • Do you need/want anything else from P&EHS?