Indicator: Land contamination

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What the results tell us for Tumut

See also: | Site remediation |

Tumut Shire Council has no record of any contaminated sites within the Shire.

In the 1997 State of the Environment, a number of potentially contaminated sites were identified because they were storage and disposal sites of toxic and hazardous material. The sites were:

  • C.C.A Plant, Gilmore
  • Timber waste disposal Site, Gilmore
  • Formaldehyde and effluent pond, Carter Holt Harvey
  • Sewerage sludge disposal - heavy metals
  • Buildings incorporating slab on ground construction - termite spraying
  • Batlow Fruit Co-operative - chemical storage
  • Stock and station agents - chemical storage
  • Petroleum based storage areas
  • Batlow Cannery settling ponds
  • Garbage depots - unauthorised dumping of hazardous and contaminated materials
  • Sheep and cattle dip sites.

Insufficient resources have prevented further progress on the identification and investigation of these sites at this time

About the data

Contaminated sites data were provided by Tumut Shire Council. Sites were classed as potentially contaminated on the basis of use.

The data were supplied by Regional Councils from their records. The quality and accuracy of data varies, some have comprehensive and up-to-date asset information, others have very little.

Description: What does 'land contamination' measure?

Which data are collected?
  • the location and size of contaminated sites and nature of contaminant
Why do we report this indicator?

Land is contaminated when the level of a hazardous substance is greater than which would naturally occur at the same site. Hazardous substances potentially pose an immediate or long-term risk to the health of humans or the environment (Contaminated Sites Discussion Paper, March 1997, ACT). They can be wastes from manufacturing processes, hydrocarbon (fuel) storage and some research procedures, or the residue from of past landuses such as mining, landfill or agriculture.

The location and extent of an area contaminated by identified contaminants is of concern to State of the Environment reporting because it is an indicator of the threat by land contamination to soil and aquatic organisms, vertebrates that might be feeding on contaminated organisms, and ultimately on human health.