Ash residue in roof cavities Community report – May 2017 Contents

Background 3

Project overview 4 Background research 4 About Senversa 5 Sampling plan 6 Sample collection 6 Public consultation and community engagement 7 Overview of sampling and results 8

Detailed findings 9 Indoor dust 12 Mould 12 Health investigation levels 12 Frequently used terms 13

Conclusions 14 Recommendations 15

To receive this publication in an accessible About this report format phone 1300 761 874, using the National This is a summary version Relay Service 13 36 77 if required, or email of Senversa’s comprehensive [email protected] final project report. Copies of Senversa’s report and all other Authorised and published by the Victorian Government, documents relating to this 1 Treasury Place, . project can be accessed © State of , May 2017 at www.health.vic.gov.au/ Except where otherwise indicated, the images in this publication show ash-project or requested by models and illustrative settings only, and do not necessarily depict actual emailing [email protected]. services, facilities or recipients of services. This publication may contain images of deceased Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. gov.au or phoning 1300 761 874. Available at www.health.vic.gov.au/ash-project Printed by Sunnyland Offset, on sustainable paper. (1704011)

2 Ash residue in Morwell roof cavities Background

On 9 February 2014, embers from nearby bushfires In its third report (Hazelwood Mine Fire Inquiry started a fire in the Hazelwood open-cut brown Report 2015/2016 Volume III—Health Improvement), coal mine. The Hazelwood coal mine is on the the Board of Inquiry recommended that the State: southern edge of Morwell, a town of nearly “Ensure that ash contained in roof cavities 14,000 people in regional Victoria. The closest in Morwell is analysed and acted on. houses to the mine fire were within a couple of hundred metres, just across the . The State should:

The fire burned for 45 consecutive days, • Commission an analysis of the ash contained blanketing Morwell and nearby parts of the in roof cavities of houses in Morwell and publish the results of that analysis to the in a plume of smoke and ash. community and Latrobe Valley Health It was “one of the largest, longest running Assembly, together with clear advice and most complex fires in the State’s history”, about the potential known, or unknown according to the Chief Officer of Victoria’s health effects. Country Fire Authority. • If the analysis of the ash residue in roof cavities reveals any content that In 2014, the Victorian Government asked an is potentially hazardous to health or of independent Hazelwood Mine Fire Inquiry to unknown impact on health, conduct an audit look into deaths and health implications as a of the extent of the exposure to ash and result of the fire. The Inquiry was subsequently develop an action plan to remove the ash reopened in 2015 after a change in government. from all affected houses.” (p. 135) Several submissions to the Board of Inquiry In response, the Victorian Department of Health raised concerns about possible health risks and Human Services (DHHS) engaged an from exposure to ash that had become trapped independent expert (Senversa Pty Ltd, see page 5) in roof cavities during the fire. There were also to study ash residue in Morwell roof cavities and reports that wet ash was linked to the growth the possible impacts on the health of residents. of red mould. Senversa undertook this work between August and December 2016.

“The residual ash in roof cavities was an issue and concern of the community, particularly for those living closest to [the fire]. This was repeatedly highlighted to Voices of the Valley during and after the fires, and featured prominently in the community health surveys. The process of addressing the issue, the openness and information sharing between the community and DHHS during the co-design process has been helpful, not only in getting the project done satisfactorily but in building up the shattered trust between the two. A fitting and collaborative way to begin work of our country’s first Health Innovation Zone.” Wendy Farmer and Ron Ispen, Voices of the Valley

3 Project overview

The results of Senversa’s study show that brown In all cases, Senversa’s research suggests the coal ash did settle in some Morwell roof cavities contaminants were not caused by the Hazelwood during the Hazelwood coal mine fire in 2014. coal mine fire. This is because the levels were However, the ash is not likely to make people similar in the two towns. The independent experts sick over time. concluded that the levels of contaminants did not pose a long-term risk to human health. The Based on their study, Senversa found that the study also suggested that dust and ash from the removal of ash or dust from roof cavities is roof cavity was not a major contributor to dust in unnecessary for health purposes. the living areas of the house. This is because the The study looked at the chemical make-up and chemical make-up of roof cavity dust and ash was amount of roof cavity dust and ash in 50 houses in different to samples taken from inside the house. Morwell. Roof cavity dust in 10 houses in Rosedale There was also no evidence that brown coal ash was also tested and compared with the Morwell residue was causing red mould to grow in houses. results. The decision to select Rosedale was discussed with the Morwell community during Background research public consultation in September 2016. Rosedale was thought to be a similar town to Morwell, but it The independent experts decided on the was less affected by the Hazelwood coal mine fire. contaminants to be tested based on what the Victorian Environment Protection Authority (EPA) Senversa selected a range of house types so they had found in samples taken during the fire and could test how age, distance from the fire, roof the findings of a literature review. type, and building materials affected the chemical make-up and amount of ash and dust in roof Senversa undertook the literature review to help: cavities. By selecting a range of house types and • determine which contaminants were likely to locations, the results can be applied to similar be found in the brown coal ash houses that were not selected for testing. • understand whether brown coal ash residue remaining in roof cavities could cause any Nineteen contaminants were tested. Only three – possible health risks to the community. lead, antimony and zinc – were found at elevated levels in any of the 60 houses. One house in The review was completed and presented to DHHS Rosedale had an elevated level of polycyclic on 3 November 2016. It can be found online at: aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) (see frequently www.health.vic.gov.au/ash-project used terms, page 13).

“I thought the ‘Ash in Roof Cavities’ initiative was a very positive step for the community. The ladies carrying out the project were terrific in their handling of this. They explained the process thoroughly every step of the way. It was a good experience.” Project participant

4 Ash residue in Morwell roof cavities The review found there was very little information on the physical nature and chemical make-up of brown coal ash and its associated health effects. But, based on what was available and what had been found in the EPA testing during the fire, 19 contaminants were selected for testing. These were: • antimony • arsenic • boron • barium • beryllium • cadmium • chromium • cobalt • copper About Senversa • lead • manganese Senversa Pty Ltd is an independent, private, • mercury Australian environmental consulting firm. • nickel They investigate industrial contamination • polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and advise on remediation, advise on landfill • selenium and waste management, and undertake • strontium environmental audits. • titanium The staff includes trained geologists, • vanadium hydrogeologists, environmental engineers, • zinc. chemists, environmental managers, project Based on the available research, other managers, remediation technicians and hydrocarbons, pesticides and radioactive administrators. The team also includes materials did not warrant further investigation. 11 environmental auditors appointed by the The literature review found no information on any environment protection authorities of Victoria, link between ash and red mould. , Western Australia and .

5 Residents’ concerns about other materials Sample collection were noted and explored. However, they were Senversa selected 50 of the 149 houses in Morwell not considered for further investigation for the that were volunteered for testing. To ensure all following reasons: house types were represented in the study, the • rubber: because contaminants found in rubber 50 houses were selected based on building age, were already being tested distance from the fire, and building and roofing • silica and the firefighting foams used against materials. All roof cavities had to be safe for bushfires: because the forms in which they were the independent experts to enter and collect found have not been shown to affect health the samples. The residents of each house also • asbestos: because only insignificant amounts completed a questionnaire about the house would have been burnt in the Hazelwood coal and whether they had seen mould growing in mine fire. the house. Very few studies about roof cavity dust and ash Before they collected the samples, Senversa from coal mine fires have been undertaken in made visual observations of the appearance Australia. This project therefore provides useful and amount of dust and ash in the roof cavity. methods, techniques and baseline information They also looked to see if mould was growing on for future studies. the ceiling or cornices. The independent experts Sampling plan also collected dust samples from surfaces inside the living area of the house. This was done to The literature review also helped to decide on find out whether ceiling dust or ash was entering the scope of the study. Senversa developed the house from the roof cavity. Photos and a sampling plan that set out: videos were taken at each sampling site to keep • the types of houses to be tested a visual record. • the contaminants to be tested Senversa sent the dust and ash samples to • the methods to be used to observe, collect laboratories to analyse the levels of each and analyse samples, and record results. contaminant. The sampling plan is available online at: www.health.vic.gov.au/ash-project

The plan set out that Senversa would draw conclusions on the basis of the results, and then compile a report including recommendations to the Victorian Government.

6 Ash residue in Morwell roof cavities Public consultation and community engagement

Before and during the study, DHHS and Throughout the project, DHHS collected Senversa sought input from community questions from the community to create a bank members and local interest groups, and of frequently asked questions. The questions stakeholders such as the Latrobe City Council and answers were sent to all registered and the EPA through public forums and participants and are available online at: consultation meetings. https://www2.health.vic.gov.au/emergencies/ hazelwood/ash-project-faq In June 2016, DHHS set up: • a dedicated project web page to host “The Ash in roof cavities project team information and updates demonstrated they had listened and • an email address and contact phone learnt from the two mine fire inquiries. number to receive community questions The community greatly benefited from • a registration form for people to register their interest in the project and receive the engagement strategies the team monthly updates, and volunteer their roof implemented. The communication was cavities for sampling. clear; they explained the technicalities Three community forums were held in Morwell of the research so that everyone understood over two days in September 2016. Senversa it. The team listened and responded to discussed the draft sampling plan with queries, putting minds at ease, explaining community members. This helped to inform the process and timeframes, taking on board the final sampling plan, including the choice community feedback and implementing of Rosedale as the control site. that feedback into the project. The project team held four community “The engagement strategies implemented forums in Morwell over two days in January 2017. At these forums the project team and also allowed for community members in the community discussed the final results need of support who had been in missed in and possible next steps. others forums to be picked up and tapped into appropriate services. Fantastic to At the same time, the independent experts visited people whose houses had been tested, see these improvements in stakeholder to provide them with individual reports engagement.” and discuss the results. Tracie Lund, Morwell Neighbourhood House The results were also presented to the Latrobe Health Assembly Executive Board in March 2017. The Board recommended that DHHS get a second opinion on the findings to make sure that the project was completed in the best way possible, and to check that the results were consistent and reliable. An independent peer review was completed by CDM Smith Australia Pty Ltd in March 2017. The peer review supported Senversa’s findings.

7 Overview of sampling and results

Sampling Analysis of contaminants

3 found at elevated 19 levels in Morwell contaminants tested* Morwell 4 properties found at elevated 149 volunteered levels in Rosedale for sampling * See page 5 for a full list of contaminants. 60 Results houses sampled % of houses sampled with elevated levels of contaminants Morwell Rosedale 50 10 (50 houses tested) (10 houses tested) Lead from Morwell from Rosedale 28% 50% 8% Zinc 10% 4% Antimony 10% About the Morwell – PAHs 10% houses sampled Age of house Ash observed v distance from fire Houses with the highest amounts of roof cavity ash were within 500 metres of the fire front FIRE FRONT FIRE 500 metres 12 9 25 4 Sampled houses were at distances as close as 0–400 m from the mine site and up to 3.6 km 0–25 >25–50 >50–75 >75 away from the mine site years years years years

Four typical house types in Morwell

5 16 16 13 Brick Brick Weatherboard Weatherboard with metal with tile with metal with tile roofing roofing roofing roofing

8 Ash residue in Morwell roof cavities Detailed findings

In the roof cavities of most, but not all, of the Generally, houses further away from the fire had houses tested in Morwell, Senversa found a less ash and 12 Morwell houses had no visible ash. layer of fine-grained darker dust with a layer of Senversa needed a standard to understand coarser-grained white to pale orange material on how the chemical make-up of the dust samples top of it (see figure 2, page 10). The independent could possibly affect human health. However, experts inferred the lighter layer on top was brown there are no official standards for human health coal ash. risks relating to roof cavity dust or for ash. Senversa estimated the amount of ash visually. So the independent experts used the health Houses with metal roofs had less dust than houses investigation levels (HILs, see page 12) for soil with tiled roofs. This is because there are fewer contamination as a trigger point for more detailed gaps for dust to enter the roof cavity (see figure 2, investigation. Senversa considered the HILs for page 10). Roof cavities that had foil insulation soil contamination were the best standard to use. or ‘sarking’ had even less dust. This is because the chances of a person coming into contact with soil are much higher than the In general, there was more ash in the roof cavities chances of a person coming into contact with ash of houses closer to the fire. There was a strong link or dust contained in a roof cavity. This means if between distance from the fire and the amount of the soil standard protects people, it would be even ash. Houses with the highest amounts of roof cavity more protective in relation to contaminants a ash were all within 500 metres of the fire front. person is less likely to come into contact with.

Old Melbourne Rd Figure 1: Map of Morwell township showing location of the fire front and area where houses were sampled

Morwell Golf Club Crinigan Bushland Houses sampled Reserve were within this area Crinigan Rd

Maryvale Rd

Latrobe Rd Toners Lane Reserve

Alexanders Rd

Princes Dr Princes Fwy Princes Dr

Princes Fwy

Approximate northern extent of fire

9 Figure 2: Cross section of roof cavity showing different roofing types, potential entry points for ash, dust and other contaminants and magnified view of ash layer on top of dust layer

Metal roofing Tile roofing

Dust/ash potential Dust/ash potential entry point entry point (corrosion or (under/between defects in roofing) tiles)

Foil insulation/sarking

Dust/ash Dust/ash Coarser-grained potential Insulation potential white to pale-orange entry point entry point ash residue (under eaves) Finer-grained, (under eaves) darker dust layer Insulation

Note: The amount of dust and ash shown in this diagram is representative only. Varying amounts of dust and ash residue were observed in Morwell roof cavities and in some properties ash residue was not observed at all.

Table 1: Number of houses with elevated levels of contaminants

Number of Number of Number of Number of Total number houses with houses with houses with houses with of houses elevated levels elevated levels elevated levels elevated levels tested of lead of zinc of antimony of PAHs

Morwell 50 14 4 2 0

Rosedale 10 5 1 1 1

10 Ash residue in Morwell roof cavities Of the 19 contaminants tested, only four were Zinc was found above its HIL in four houses in higher than the health investigation levels in Morwell and one house in Rosedale, again at any of the houses in Morwell or Rosedale: these similar concentrations in both places. The houses were lead, antimony and zinc, and PAHs in with elevated levels of zinc had galvanised one Rosedale house. metal roofing materials, where zinc is used to prevent rusting. Over time, the roofing materials Senversa then did more detailed work on those can deteriorate and zinc particles are added contaminants. They tested the relationship to roof cavity dust. In both towns, the levels of between these contaminant levels against the zinc were about ten times higher in houses with amount of ash and the distance of the houses metal roofs compared to houses with tile roofs. from the fire, as well as four house characteristics: The independent experts suggest that metal age, building type, roofing material and foil roofing is the likely cause of elevated zinc levels insulation (sarking). in some houses. The levels of lead were higher than the HIL in 14 of Antimony exceeded its HIL in two houses in the 50 houses in Morwell and five of the 10 houses Morwell and one in Rosedale. Houses with foil in Rosedale. The levels were similar in houses insulation had the highest levels of antimony in in both towns. the roof cavity dust. Reflective foil or ‘sarking’ Senversa found there was a link between the provides insulation and weather protection, with age of the house and the lead levels: the older some types made up of 10% antimony trioxide. the house, the higher the level of lead. But there Over time the insulation can degrade and small was no link between elevated lead levels and the pieces of the material are added to roof cavity location of the houses or distance from the fire. dust. That is why Senversa suggests the foil The independent experts therefore concluded insulation is the likely cause of elevated antimony that the elevated lead levels were not likely to be levels in some houses. caused by the fire. They suggest the presence PAHs are formed naturally when coal is burned of lead is a residue of emissions from leaded and are therefore deposited in ash. Like lead, petrol and/or the historic use of lead in paints elevated levels of PAHs were generally found in and other building materials. Lead in petrol was older houses. PAHs are associated with open fires, phased out by 2002 and in paint during the 1970s such as burning off garden waste and the use of (see figure 3). briquettes for heating. This sort of activity has reduced significantly over recent years.

Figure 3: Age of houses and use of lead over time

Older houses Petrol had have higher lead in it lead levels up to 2002

1850 1900 1950 2000

Paint had lead in it up to the 1970s

11 There was no link between elevated levels of PAHs Health investigation levels and brown coal ash residue in roof cavities. This is because the only house with higher levels of PAHs One of the first tasks of the project was to was in Rosedale. decide which contaminants in brown coal ash could possibly impact human health Indoor dust and therefore needed further investigation. Samples of roof cavity dust and indoor dust were Senversa decided the best standards to collected in different ways. That means the roof use would be the health investigation levels cavity samples and the indoor dust samples (HILs) for soil. These are Australian standards cannot be directly compared. So, Senversa used published under the National Environment a theory to find out whether roof cavity dust Protection Measures. There are no international was entering the living areas of the house. They standards that set a level for contaminants in assumed that if dust in the house was made up of roof cavity dust to cause a health risk. dust from the roof cavity, the chemical make-up of the two samples would be similar. This was not the If the level of a contaminant meets or case. The chemical make-up of roof cavity dust is higher than the HIL, it does not mean and indoor dust was very different. This supports that there is health risk. Levels higher the finding that large amounts of roof cavity dust than the HILs do not automatically are not entering the living areas of houses. mean that clean-up is required. HILs Indoor dust is usually made up of things like dirt are simply used to indicate that further from outside, road dust, human and pet hair and skin, carpet and clothing fibres, paint chips investigation may be needed. and fungus spores. The levels are deliberately set well Mould below what would impact the health of the most vulnerable people, even Only one of the 50 houses sampled in Morwell had after long-term exposure. For example, mould growing. The mould was black and seen under the microwave after the fire, and later it was a child playing in the dirt in their garden seen under the fridge. The kitchen fan had not every day. been used since the fire, which may have led to a build-up in moisture under the kitchen appliances. Because there are very few (if any) studies on The house with this mould had no visible ash roof cavity dust, Senversa used the HILs for soil from the coal mine fire in its roof cavity. Senversa contamination. These HILs were considered concluded there was no link between brown coal appropriate and protective of health, because ash in roof cavities and the growth of mould. the chances of exposure to soil are much higher than the chances of exposure to dust or ash in a roof cavity.

12 Ash residue in Morwell roof cavities Frequently used terms

Antimony – antimony is a metal that is found naturally in soils and rocks. It is mined and mixed with other metals for industrial products, including batteries, sheet and pipe metal, ammunition, pewter, and as a flame retardant in insulation materials. Antimony can make up 10% of some foil insulation in roofs in Australia.

Contaminants – a contaminant is any physical, chemical, biological or radiological substance that are present in the environment due to unnatural sources, such as pollution. Soil, households and drinking water can contain small amounts of contaminants, without there being a health risk. The contaminants tested as part of this study were the metals and trace elements: antimony, arsenic, boron, barium, beryllium, cadmium, cobalt, chromium, copper, lead, manganese, mercury, nickel, selenium, strontium, titanium, vanadium, zinc, and PAHs (see below).

Elevated levels – where this report refers to ‘elevated levels’ of contaminants, it means contaminants found to be above the relevant health investigation level.

Health hazard – a health hazard is something that could possibly make you sick or hurt you. A hazard is not ‘risky’ until you are exposed to enough of it to actually make you sick. If you take precautions with a hazard, you can reduce the risk of it making you sick.

Health risk – a health risk is the chance or likelihood that a hazard could make you sick. It is possible for a hazard to be present without it being ‘risky’. You have to be exposed to a hazard for there to be a risk.

HILs – ‘Health investigation levels’ are Australian standards for assessing whether contaminants in the environment may pose a health risk. This study used the HILs for soil.

Lead – lead is a metal that is found naturally in the environment, but is also used industrially. In the past lead has been used in petrol, paint and roof flashing.

PAHs – ‘polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons’ are a group of more than 100 different chemicals that are released from burning coal, oil, gasoline, trash, tobacco, wood, or other organic substances such as charcoal-broiled meat.

Zinc – zinc is a metal that is found naturally in the environment. It is one of the most common elements in soil and rocks. It is used to prevent metal roofing from rusting.

13 Conclusions

Based on the observations and laboratory results • The amount of ash in Morwell houses related of the samples, Senversa concluded: to the distance of houses from the mine fire. Houses closer to the fire had more ash in the • Most of the contaminants tested were below the roof cavity. Houses further away had only small health investigation levels. There were elevated amounts of ash, sometimes none at all. levels of antimony, lead and zinc in some • Roof cavity dust is not a major contributor to houses in both towns. Some types of PAH were indoor dust. Most indoor dust that people are at elevated levels in one Rosedale house. regularly exposed to is made up of other things • The elevated levels of those contaminants were like outdoor soil, carpet or clothing fibres and consistent with levels expected from background skin flakes. contamination sources. The elevated levels did • There was no link between brown coal ash not appear to be linked with brown coal ash and mould growth. residue from the Hazelwood coal mine fire. • The contaminants that were higher than the An independent peer review by CDM Smith health investigation levels are not considered Australia Pty Ltd supported these findings. likely to affect the health of residents. The health investigation levels are considered safe, even if people were in regular contact with roof dust or ash. But because roof cavities are not regularly accessed, very limited contact with roof dust or ash is expected.

Contaminants found at elevated levels in Morwell Caused by ash from the 2014 Other possible causes of elevated and Rosedale roof cavities Hazelwood coal mine fire? levels of these contaminants

Emissions from leaded petrol Lead No Lead-based paint

Zinc No Metal roofing materials

Antimony No Foil insulation in roofs

Open fires PAHs No Briquette heating

14 Ash residue in Morwell roof cavities Recommendations The study showed that brown coal ash did settle in some Morwell roof cavities during the Hazelwood coal mine fire in 2014. However, the ash is not likely to make people sick over time.

Senversa therefore recommended that the removal of ash or dust from roof cavities is unnecessary for health purposes.

It should be noted, however, that roof cavity dust in general – in Morwell or anywhere Some houses have ash in else – may cause respiratory effects if the the roof cavity, but you dust is disturbed and inhaled (e.g. coughing, and your family are safe sneezing or irritation to the eyes, throat and nose). All roof dust may also contain a range of hazardous materials that should be avoided.

The Department of Health and Human Services recommends that exposure to any roof dust should be limited. Anyone entering a roof cavity should wear appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) and practise good hygiene, no matter where they live.

Further information on the hazards in roof cavities and ways of minimising risks can be found at: https://www2.health.vic.gov. au/public-health/environmental-health/ environmental-health-in-the-home/hazards- in-roof-cavities

The project team would like to acknowledge everyone who contributed to this project, including: • Project participants and volunteers • Morwell Neighbourhood House • Latrobe City Council • Voices of the Valley • EPA • Morwell and Latrobe Valley communities • Morwell and Districts Community Recovery • Latrobe Health Assembly Committee • Morwell North, Morwell East and Rose Garden Neighbourhood Working Groups

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