Chemical spills occurred in Stable Swamp Creek on the 3rd, 4th and 5th of March. First sighted at the Beaudesert Rd end of Kookaburra Park, the thick white foam has led to large number of dead fish and significant damage to the waterway ecosystem. OCCA has been in touch with the EPA and much of the tests and data are still be being finalised. However, while the EPA cannot say for certain what the toxin was, they suspect that the pollutant was some kind of detergent from a “wash-down” at a local business. Detergents strip the gills of fish of their mucous membrane so that they are unable to obtain oxygen from the water.
Unfortunately the fish samples collected were so degraded that the cause of death was difficult to confirm, but more tests are being conducted. It seems unlikely that the EPA will be able to pinpoint the culprit, but they have identified the area from which the pollution came. The source appears to be located in the area between Boundary and Musgrave Roads, with the strongest indication coming from a stormwater drain on Vonstar Place. This suggests that the pollution may have originated from either Boyland or Richland Avenue.
If you have any information on the spill please call the EPA on 1300 130 372