A pipeline built without approval by alumina giant Alcoa is at risk of leaking toxic chemicals into a dam which supplies drinking water in Western Australia’s (WA’s) southwest.
The state’s environmental regulator has ordered Alcoa to urgently flush out the pipeline which crosses the Samson Dam, about 100km south of Perth.
It says the pipeline is likely to contain wastewater contaminated
with Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS), known as “forever chemicals” because they are very slow to break down and are associated with a range of serious health issues.
Alcoa constructed the pipeline to transport PFAS-contaminated wastewater from its Willowdale bauxite mine operations .
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