Drought-stricken farmers dealt another blow as toxic chemicals have been dumped on their land

Drought-stricken farmers are dealt another blow as it’s revealed toxic chemicals have been dumped on their land and crops as part of government’s ‘green’ recycling scheme

  • Report by EPA found recycled soil given to farmers laced with toxic chemicals 
  • The recycling scheme uses household red lid bins and turns material into soil 
  • The government now plans to stop the scheme after the explosive report 

Drought stricken farmers have been dealt another blow as it has been revealed soil laced with toxic chemicals and plastics has been dumped on their land by the government. 

Lead, fire retardants, and mercury were found in recycled soil given to farms in New South Wales – exposing farmers, their families, and crops to the toxic chemicals, according to The Daily Telegraph. 

An explosive NSW Environment Protection Authority report found the toxic soil could cause ‘plant growth problems’ and was an ‘unacceptable ecological risk’. 

Drought stricken farmers have been dealt another blow as it has been revealed soil laced with toxic chemicals and plastics has been dumped on their land by the government 

The soil was given to farmers under a so-called 'green' program started by NSW Labor which takes household red lid bins and recycles the material into soil

The soil was given to farmers under a so-called ‘green’ program started by NSW Labor which takes household red lid bins and recycles the material into soil 

The revelation is the latest blow to farmers who are in the midst of severe drought. 

The soil was given to farmers under a so-called ‘green’ program started by NSW Labor which takes household red lid bins and recycles the material into soil. 

The government now plans to stop the practice following the report. 

Environment Minister Matt Kean said on Tuesday he would not ‘stand by and let this product damage our environment and put at risk people’s health’. 

‘I don’t want to see pesticides, plastics and PFAS in our environment, let alone put there under the banner of recycling,’ he said.  

Per-and polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS) are a group of chemicals commonly used as firefighting foams and in other industrial uses. 

Some of the chemicals identified in the EPA report have been shown to cause cancer and infertility. 

Farmers and their families are at risk from coming into contact with the contaminated soil and eating crops, dairy, livestock raised on the soil. 

The danger does extend to the general public because of the way products are treated and diluted before being sold. 

Sheep farmer Graham Gilmore told the publication he had once been confused to find a toothbrush and a pen in soil he was given – adding he stopped using it because his biggest priority was growing a premium product. 

NSW Farmers Federation chief Peter Arkle said NSW had a ‘hard-earned reputation for cleanliness and anything that could jeopardise that is very concerning’. 

Environment Minister Matt Kean said on Tuesday he would not 'stand by and let this product damage our environment and put at risk people's health'

Environment Minister Matt Kean said on Tuesday he would not ‘stand by and let this product damage our environment and put at risk people’s health’ 

 

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