Calls are growing for urgent government action to address the PFAS contamination crisis across the Hawkesbury and Blue Mountains, with the Greens pushing for free blood tests, better health support, and a total phase-out of the toxic "forever chemicals."

Cate Faehrmann, Greens MP and Chair of the NSW Parliamentary Inquiry into PFAS Contamination in Drinking Water Supplies, visited the region this week alongside federal Greens candidate for Macquarie, Terry Morgan, to demand coordinated action from the federal and state governments.

It follows alarming findings of PFAS chemicals in drinking water and waterways across the Hawkesbury and Blue Mountains. Testing by the NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA) confirmed elevated levels of PFOS, one of the most harmful types of PFAS, in local water supplies. Earlier this year, Hawkesbury Post revealed that bridge construction workers were ordered out of the Hawkesbury River after contamination fears,however the EPA recently said recent testing found PFAS levels in the Hawkesbury River are now well below national safety guidelines for recreation.

Faehrmann says residents who may have unknowingly been exposed for decades are being left to bear the burden of paying hundreds of dollars for private blood tests.

“Communities have a right to know what’s in their water and what’s in their bodies," she said. "It’s totally unacceptable that some Hawkesbury and Blue Mountains residents are paying $500 a pop to know their PFAS blood levels."

Faehrmann said a government-funded program was urgently needed to offer free blood testing, ongoing health monitoring, and public reporting of PFAS levels across water, soil, wildlife, and agricultural products.

Under the Greens' plan, a NSW PFAS Public Health Monitoring Taskforce would be established to provide free blood testing and health support to impacted communities, while comprehensive public testing of drinking water, soil, wildlife, and agricultural products would be undertaken regularly. PFAS would be urgently phased out from consumer and industrial products, including packaging, agrichemicals, household goods and cosmetics, with mandatory labelling until a full ban is in place. Drinking water standards would also be tightened to align with new international cancer findings, and First Nations communities would receive targeted health services.

"People have already undergone enormous stress after being reassured their water was safe, only to find they have likely been drinking contaminated water for years. The least the government can do is pay for blood testing and support them with follow-up health services," Faehrmann said.

Federal candidate Terry Morgan said residents were angry at the ongoing blame-shifting between government agencies and demanded proper leadership.

“Blue Mountains and Hawkesbury residents are frustrated and fearful after the discovery of high PFOS levels in our drinking water," he said. "It’s vital that federal and state governments work together, including with local councils, to give residents the resources they need to assess their exposure and protect their health."

Mr Morgan also warned that the region’s renowned natural beauty and biodiversity were under threat.

“The presence of these forever chemicals in our environment is alarming. PFAS must be urgently phased out."

The Hawkesbury, like numerous other areas near military bases across the country, became a significant PFAS hotspot due to contamination from RAAF Base Richmond. For decades, firefighting foams containing PFAS were used at the base, and the chemicals have since spread onto the Hawkesbury River floodplain, contaminating groundwater, soil, and the river.

Despite international moves towards stronger regulation, Australian authorities have so far been slow to act. While the World Health Organization’s cancer research agency recently classified PFOA as carcinogenic and PFOS as possibly carcinogenic, Australian drinking water guidelines still allow levels far higher than recommended overseas.

The Greens are pushing for the maximum allowable levels to be lowered immediately and for PFAS to be banned across all consumer and industrial uses, including packaging, agrichemicals, and household products.

As previously reported by the Hawkesbury Post, concerns about PFAS contamination have been steadily rising, with residents expressing frustration over the lack of transparency and support. 

Ms Faehrmann said both state and federal Labor governments needed to stop "burying their heads in the sand" and treat PFAS contamination as the public health crisis it is.

“We’re relying on outdated science and refusing to acknowledge we’ve got a problem. It’s time for real action," she said.