Controlling the risk to public health is one of the objects of the NSW Public Health Act. When the denials, subsequent slowness to act and belated admissions became public, some were convinced the authorities had failed in their duty of care.
We asked Premier Chris Minns about the flawed performance of Sydney Water and WaterNSW. There were few answers: A spokesman for the premier said authorities started testing for PFAS “out of an abundance of caution”; the government “and our agencies understand the community’s concerns about PFAS, and we remain on guard”; further, the national regulator had been asked to hurry up with a review.
Minns is meandering along at the leisurely pace his government permitted water authorities with little consequences. Given the science, adoption of the US standard is an urgent public health necessity. It would also be a watershed moment requiring massive changes. But after months asleep at the wheel, the NSW government must take the lead and stop hiding behind past certainties.
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