During environmental assessment investigations associated with the precinct’s planning approvals, asbestos was detected in a number of buildings; buried building waste areas from historic demolition activities; and some topsoil across the site. In addition, fuel and waste oil contamination was found in a number of underground storage tanks, and waste from munition activities and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), associated with Department of Defence’s use of aqueous film forming foams, was found on the former SME site.

Geochemical investigations commissioned by MIC, focusing on PFAS, undertaken by Golder Associates in 2015 and 2016, confirmed two primary sites and a potential third site, along the eastern bank of the Georges River, where the Department of Defence had held firefighting exercises over many years. These sites comprise less than 1 per cent of the total site area of Moorebank Logistics Park and importantly, are not located in the developable footprint.

MIC is working closely with the Commonwealth in assessing and considering the human health and ecological risk assessment of PFAS contamination at the two primary sites.

MIC is required to approve the scope necessary to meet the requirements of the Contaminated Land Management Act as certified by the site auditor.