“Oil and gas company, Exxon Mobil has revealed it is negotiating a buy up of farmland near the Longford gas plant in Victoria’s east where the toxic chemicals PFAS have been discovered.
The company has been ordered to complete a two-year audit of PFAS that has spread from its Longford gas plant near Sale to determine the extent of the contamination.
Firefighting foam containing the group of toxic chemicals known as PFAS was used at the Esso plant for about 40 years until 2008.
Esso’s Longford plants manager, David Anderson said authorities and the company were now working out just how far it has spread and what is involved in trying to clean it up.
Tests have shown chemical contamination at levels above government health guidelines in water and soil near the fire training ground and heliport at the Longford plant.
But it has also leached beyond the plant to at least five neighbouring farms…
Seven dams have been fenced off to prevent livestock from drinking contaminated water…
Mr Anderson [Longford plants manager] said landholders had been approached and in some cases landholders had approached the company, to initiate talks about a possible buy up of their land…
Victoria’s Environment Protection Authority has issued a clean up notice ordering the company to undertake a two-year audit of the site and surrounding land…
Landholders are being urged not to accept any early offers. Law firm Slater and Gordon said any negotiations must include an accurate assessment of land value, compensation for the cost of buying a replacement property and cover for agricultural losses.”
Read the full article by Kellie Lazzaro