Read the full article by Radio New Zealand

“A law firm, backed by celebrity American activist Erin Brokovich, is urging New Zealanders potentially affected by contamination from firefighting foam to consider their legal options.

It was revealed last week that a small number of fish samples taken from around Auckland’s Whenuapai airbase were contaminated with the chemical PFAS, and that levels exceeded the recreational water guidelines for health.

The council said no drinking water was affected and that the levels found in the fish were below food safety risk consumption guidelines.

But the firm Shine Lawyers is calling for wider, more transparent testing to find out the extent of the contamination.

The team’s New Zealand solicitor, Tim Gunn, said the testing type and methods used by the Defence Force were inadequate to properly understand the contamination…

Similar cases in Australia had shown the presence of the chemicals could have a drastic effect on land value.

‘The uncertainty around testing is causing significant hardship for local residents trying to come to terms with this issue,; he said.

Australian land owners have taken legal action to try to get compensation for the decline in the value of their land. The actions are ongoing…

Mr Gunn called the presence of PFAS ‘one of the worst environmental disasters to happen to New Zealand’…

‘We need to know where it is, what the levels are and how people can move on with their lives.’

He urged people who might be impacted by the contamination to consider their legal options.”