Toxic chemical PFAS found at all MFB stations
Toxic chemical PFAS has been discovered at all Metropolitan Fire Brigade stations, but the state's Emergency Services Minister is insisting there is "no risk to life".
The Victorian government initiated an audit of all MFB stations last year, four years after the Fiskville CFA training centre shut down due to widespread contamination of PFAS.
Emergency Services Minister insists there is no risk to life. Credit:Chris Hopkins
Emergency Services Minister Lisa Neville said "all the trucks, and equipments and stations" were tested for the toxic chemical, with a report handed down to her early this week finding PFAS levels were discovered at all stations.
"There is a remediation plan in relation to each of those stations," Ms Neville said on Thursday morning.
"For the stations, there is no risk to the firefighters unless they were to eat the dirt underneath."
The Andrews government shut down the Fiskville training centre in March 2015, four months after winning the election, after PFAS residue was found in the site's water supply.
More than a dozen people linked to the site died of cancer, including whistleblower Brian Potter, a former fire chief.
A report in 2012 confirmed firefighters had been exposed to chemicals through water used in hot fire training exercises, but declared the facility was safe and the risk of getting cancer was low.
Mick Tisbury, a former fire commander who started investigating the water quality at Fiskville in 2012, was part of the team auditing the MFB stations over the last year.
PFAS substances have historically been used in firefighting foam due to their effectiveness in fighting liquid fires.
Ms Neville is expected to announce further details later on Thursday.