Australia will dramatically cut ‘forever chemicals’ in tap water – but it will mean a big clean-up

Australia will dramatically cut ‘forever chemicals’ in tap water – but it will mean a big clean-up

The new thresholds are likely to force the clean-up of tap water supplied to hundreds of thousands of people across the country.

  • byCarrie Fellner

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Mark Ruffalo wanted to make a film about his life. Rob Bilott had to be convinced

Mark Ruffalo wanted to make a film about his life. Rob Bilott had to be convinced

The environmental lawyer reluctantly agreed to help Hollywood for one reason only.

  • byCarrie Fellner
Mission to track source of tar balls littering 11 Sydney beaches from Bondi to Botany Bay

Mission to track source of tar balls littering 11 Sydney beaches from Bondi to Botany Bay

Grimy balls of oil and debris have been found on 11 eastern suburbs beaches,and authorities are still investigating whether the source is a ship or from the land.

  • byCaitlin Fitzsimmons
Mysterious dark spheres on Sydney beaches identified
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Coogee

Mysterious dark spheres on Sydney beaches identified

Preliminary testing by Randwick City Council has identified the black balls that have washed up on Coogee,Maroubra and Gordons Bay beaches as “tar balls”,made from oil and debris.

  • byCaitlin Fitzsimmons andFrances Howe
Mysterious black grime balls wash up on popular Sydney beach

Mysterious black grime balls wash up on popular Sydney beach

The dark spheres ranging in size from golf to tennis balls could be “tar balls”,a mixture of oil and debris.

  • byCaitlin Fitzsimmons
The remote Australian coast bearing the brunt of the plastic crisis

The remote Australian coast bearing the brunt of the plastic crisis

Halfway around the world,California is suing ExxonMobil,claiming the oil giant deliberately misled the public for decades about the limitations of plastic recycling.

  • byCaitlin Fitzsimmons
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The big switch coming for cruise ships heading to White Bay
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Cruises

The big switch coming for cruise ships heading to White Bay

Cruise ships berthing in Sydney’s inner west will soon be required to hook up to onshore electricity while in port,following years of community complaints about pollution.

  • byMary Ward
NSW parliament to hold ‘forever chemicals’ inquiry after drinking water contamination

NSW parliament to hold ‘forever chemicals’ inquiry after drinking water contamination

The upper house inquiry will examine the presence of cancer-linked chemicals in drinking water following the closure of dams where PFAS were found.

  • byBen Cubby
Dramatic turnaround as state backs widespread water testing for forever chemicals

Dramatic turnaround as state backs widespread water testing for forever chemicals

Hours after the Herald published revelations of high levels of “forever chemicals” at a dam this week,NSW Health moved to get all water utilities to screen for PFAS.

  • byBen Cubby andCarrie Fellner
Dam faces long-term shutdown after ‘forever chemicals’ discovery

Dam faces long-term shutdown after ‘forever chemicals’ discovery

Medlow Dam in the Blue Mountains may be shut for a long period and water pumped in from Oberon after high levels of cancer-linked chemicals were found in the water.

  • byBen Cubby andCarrie Fellner
‘White hot’:Cancer-linked chemicals flowing into dam at 50 times safe level

‘White hot’:Cancer-linked chemicals flowing into dam at 50 times safe level

Independent tests near Medlow Dam in the Blue Mountains show contamination at far higher levels than the government has admitted.

  • byBen Cubby andCarrie Fellner