EPA hears the concerns of Cadia residents in wake of mine dust issue

Owning acreage, growing and eating their own food and being able to relax knowing they're doing the best for their family is part and parcel of why Ellie McNamara, husband Daniel Price and their three sons moved to their property between Millthorpe and Forest Reefs in 2016.

Seven years later and the family has been rocked by health concerns after discovering their water supply has been contaminated by heavy metals including lead, nickel, copper and selenium.

At a community drop-in session in Millthorpe organised by the NSW Environmental Protection Authority to investigate continuing dust problems stemming from the nearby Cadia Valley Operations, Ms McNamara said for the past three months the family has been carting water because their home water supply is too contaminated.

"Our metal levels are high in all areas," she said.

"The amount of sludge is really high and the worry is when we get heavy rains it stirs the sludge up, bringing those metals into our drinking and washing water."

The concern isn't just a theoretical one. Ms McNamara has been feeling the physical effects of the contaminated water.

"I have been impacted in a physical sense with a lot of skin problems that my dermatologist has linked directly to the metals in my body and contact exposure," she said.

"Since we've been carting water for drinking, washing and laundry that has all cleared up."

With initial testing from their water supply showing high levels of arsenic the family is taking daily urine samples from their three boys to measure a range of metals in their body.

"It's pretty scary," she said.

Forest Reefs resident Stuart Riles said prior to Tuesday's meeting he had been somewhat ignorant of the dust issues coming from the mining operation, and is now concerned for the health of his own daughter and newly born grand daughter.

"Kaitlyn was here for three months before giving birth to Acacia and as a good mother was drinking two litres of water from our water supply every day," he said.

"Now I'm really upset and deeply concerned that this has happened considering that Kaitlyn breastfed and washed Acacia while she was here."

Mr Riles said he regularly washes out his gutters and has a first flush diversion system in place, but with many others also having those systems in place he will be checking the water quality.

As a science teacher with a background in environmental science Mr Riles questions the efficacy of the water quality tests.

"They test the water as it comes out of your tap in the kitchen," he said.

"Anyone with a tank will know that when it's not raining the water is clear, but when you get heavy rain the water changes, it becomes brown and dirty. They don't test that."

On Monday, Newcrest Cadia mine was accused of "falling well short" of meeting necessary clean air standards amid concerns from the NSW Environment Protection Authority dust from the mine is having a direct impact on the health of nearby residents.

The latest investigation was triggered by a submission of new health concerns from Cadia residents, with Newcrest to submit answers to the EPA on Tuesday.

The mine's acting general manager, Mick Dewar said Cadia has launched a "full human health risk assessment" through SAGE Environmental Services.

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