After spending more than 50 years dedicated to his cattle breed, Larry Acton was devastated to watch every Braford cow he owned go through the sale ring.
“Mentally that was [difficult] and still is … it’s never out of my mind,” he said.
Now, as the central Queensland cattleman looks to his future retirement, he must decide whether to sell his land at a loss, or pass the “poisoned chalice” to his son.
It is a decision Mr Acton has grappled with since 2021, when he found out per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, known as PFAS, had been leaking onto his land near Biloela from the Callide Power Station, run by CS Energy.
Larry and Richard Acton are worried about the value of their land. (ABC News: Jasmine Hines)
PFAS was used in firefighting foam for decades and is also commonly found in household items such as non-stick pans, carpets and food packaging.
It can take several years for PFAS levels to reduce in the human body, while in the environment they can take decades or longer to break down, which is why they are known as ‘forever chemicals’.
While their impact on human health and the environment has been the subject of debate, the Australian Drinking Water Guidelines were recently updated to reduce the health risks from exposure.
Larry Acton has changed his operation since he first learned his water supply was contaminated. (ABC News: Jasmine Hines)
Internationally some of these chemicals, including the sort used previously in firefighting foam, have been recognised as being toxic to humans and wildlife.
Bore water tested on Mr Acton’s property in 2021 contained more than double the PFAS allowable in drinking water at that time.
A tank with untreated water on Larry Acton’s property. (ABC News: Jasmine Hines)
‘Surely there’s a moral obligation’
CS Energy has installed a filtration system on Mr Acton’s property for human drinking water, but he said the company had not been interested in providing a solution for his cattle.
A Braford cow drinking from Larry Acton’s groundwater supply. (Supplied: GDL Georgie Connor)
He said it was unlikely the company would come to the table unless the government regulated PFAS in beef.
“We bought this place in good faith to run a business … surely there’s a moral obligation that they should be in some way addressing or compensating us for that,” he said.
The Callide Power Station was commissioned in the 1980s and supports hundreds of local jobs. (ABC News: Jasmine Hines)
While CS Energy said it was working closely with health experts and landholders to provide solutions for domestic needs, it did not respond to questions regarding livestock.
Acting Callide Power Station site general manager Grant Barnes said support would be extended to people affected by the new water guidelines.
There is currently no maximum residue limits set for meat under the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code, or through the country’s export system.
Richard and Larry Actons’ cattle drink untreated bore water. (ABC News: Jasmine Hines)
However, overseas the European Union has imposed maximum residue limits, and Mr Acton is worried other markets could follow.
He now only keeps cattle for a few months before they are moved on.
This tactic, known in the industry as backgrounding, ensures PFAS does not build up in his animals.
Larry Acton’s cattle only stay on his property for a short period because of the PFAS issue. (ABC News: Jasmine Hines)
Tainted inheritance
Contaminated cattle and land is not something Mr Acton wants his son to inherit.
“It’s worth a lot of money if it didn’t have that contaminated water problem,” he said.
“The other option is of course we pass it on to [son] Richard and his family.
“But am I handing him the poisoned chalice?”
The federal Department of Agriculture said it was continuing to monitor PFAS developments through its SAFEMEAT committee, a partnership between the industry and government.
Larry Acton has spent decades working with Braford cattle. (Supplied: GDL Georgie Connor)
Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) said testing of foods sold across the country had consistently found very low levels of PFAS which did not pose a risk to public health.
AgForce Queensland general president Shane McCarthy said the group was working on a policy to help affected graziers and farmers.
“The people that have PFAS on their properties — it’s a concern,” he said.
Mr McCarthy said there needed to be greater financial support for affected property owners, as well as better remediation of sites.
More research needed
Denis O’Carroll, an environmental engineer and director of the Water Research Laboratory at the University of New South Wales, said the effect of PFAS on humans and the environment needed to be reviewed regularly.
Denis O’Carroll says more needs to be done to stop PFAS coming into the country. (ABC News: Gregory Heap)
He said the effect of the different types of PFAS on humans also needed further research.
“Australia only considers a limited number of PFAS in the regulations and some jurisdictions … for example Canada … and the European Union look at a much broader set of PFAS when they do look at the regulations.”
Professor O’Carroll said contamination of groundwater was a widespread issue, with urban and industrial areas both affected, especially if they were near locations where firefighting was involved, such as defence force bases.
In Biloela, near the coal-fired Callide Power Station, Mr Acton is not the only person concerned.
PFAS testing has cost the local council $350,000 so far, and up to 45 households have the chemicals in higher levels than the Australian Drinking Water Guidelines recommend.
The house on the Acton property now has access to filtered water for drinking, showering and growing vegetables. (ABC News: Jasmine Hines)
Bores that the council uses for part of the town’s drinking water supply are also being re-tested after the guidelines were updated.
Mayor Nev Ferrier expected some supplies to exceed the threshold, but said the council would continue to make sure residents’ water was safe.
“A couple of our bores will be over it … we’re still going to be mixing [drinking water from the dam and bores] like we are now and we’ve just got to be a bit more careful with what bores we use,” he said.
The Senate is investigating the issue and is expected to report in November.
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