PFAS Contamination Investigation (Human Health and Ecological Risk Assessments and remediation)
Newcastle, NSW, Australia
Department of Defence
This is the largest multidisciplinary contamination investigation in Australia to date, completed as part of Defence’s National PFAS Investigation and Management Program.
Since 2015, AECOM has investigated the nature, extent and implications of PFAS contamination at RAAF Base Williamtown.
AECOM’s work on this, as well as Army Aviation Centre Oakey - two of the largest multidisciplinary contamination investigations in Australia - has developed a series of precedent-setting approaches to human and ecological risks assessment for PFAS. These include a selection of toxicological profiles, modelling of human and ecological uptakes of PFAS exposure, and communication of findings to public and regulatory stakeholders.
AECOM is also the Environmental Consultant on the site supporting Department of Defence’s response management actions.
The project began as a preliminary site investigation to understand the likely nature and extent of PFAS impacts. Due to its complexity, the investigation evolved into a multiple media assessment including fish and biota, covering 50km2 and two harbours.
This significant investigation involved compressed timelines, limited data and scientific uncertainties, intense community, state government and Defence stakeholder scrutiny as well as unprecedented contamination scale and complexity and rapid changes in scope, information and reporting needs.