Former mining town's preschool again at risk of lead exposure
The Captains Flat community has concerns about how ongoing lead exposure risks are being managed in their hometown, after elevated lead levels were detected at their preschool.
A preschool located in Captains Flat, a small town just outside Canberra, faces the risk of lead exposure once again after high lead levels were detected at the site. This comes after the preschool had already been relocated once due to contamination concerns. The Captains Flat Community Association expressed disappointment that lead had been found again, questioning why they are discovering contamination issues again after previous tests.
The preschool's outdoor playground and garden areas have been closed as a safety precaution, and children are currently being kept indoors. In 2021, about 40 years after the Lake George gold mine closed, lead was discovered in surface soils across the NSW Tablelands town, leading to the preschool's closure and relocation. The NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA) is working to mitigate the risk, but community members are frustrated that no long-term plan has been established to remove lead from the town.
Concerns have been raised about the adequacy of the $1 million community fund to address lead contamination issues, including free soil testing by the EPA. Local authorities are committed to providing further support, including additional funding if required, to ensure the safety of residents and the removal of lead from private properties.
Written by urgent.news from ABC News AU's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
