Williamtown: "The Foam and the Fury"
Here is a link to an excellent series of six articles on the contamination at Williamtown, NSW (the subject of a class action I am currently working on) by investigative journalists Michael McGowan and Carrie Fellner of the Newcastle Herald, looking at the different ways in which people's lives have been affected.
https://www.theherald.com.au/story/3906388/the-foam-and-the-fury-in-williamtown/
For those that are unfamiliar with the subject, some context....
PFCs (perflourinated compounds, such as PFOS and PFOA) have been mass produced by chemical companies for use in everyday products such as Teflon frying pans, Scotch Guard and the retardant foams used by firefighters. They are bio-persistent, and evidence (for example, studies emerging from class action litigation against Dupont in the USA) suggests they are toxic to humans, with a probable link to a range of conditions including kidney cancer. Worryingly, it is likely that all of us now have some level of PFCs in our blood, and the US Environmental Protection Agency has just significantly reduced the guidelines for acceptable levels of PFOS / PFOA in drinking water - to 70 parts per trillion from 200 parts per trillion.
As the scientific understanding continues to evolve, there are obvious parallels to asbestos, which for many years continued to be produced despite concerns over the links to mesothelioma. In large part, these issues arise because authorities are restricted from investigating chemicals for toxicity unless there is evidence of harm - meaning that toxic products can be released into the environment for many years (decades in the case of PFCs) before there is sufficient evidence to mount a legal challenge. Even then, claimants will face significant hurdles thrown in their way by well resourced defendants, be they corporations or state entities. I have been investigating a number of comparable contamination incidents and, sadly, it seems a common thread is that the polluter will continue to pollute until forced (by law, public pressure or both) to stop - which gives an extra level of significance to a test case like Williamtown and articles like "The Foam and the Fury".