Ku-ring-gai Council in Sydney has been issued a clean-up notice following the discovery of orange sludge that seeped into a waterway within Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park. The council self-reported this incident to the New South Wales Environment Protection Authority (EPA) on July 11, marking the leak’s origin as an old landfill site in Turramurra, specifically from a malfunctioning pump located beneath North Turramurra Golf Course.
Upon inspection by an EPA officer, it was confirmed that leachate, a toxic liquid formed from waste, was contaminating the watercourse. Photographic evidence from the site illustrates the polluted water coursing through the national park. In response to this environmental concern, the EPA has mandated the council to take immediate action to prevent further pollution, remove the contaminated liquid, and redirect the flow of affected water away from the national park.
To remediate the situation, Ku-ring-gai Council has since installed a replacement pump to cease the leakage. The EPA has also commenced an investigation into the incident, collecting samples from both the source of the leak and an adjacent creek to assess any potential environmental damage caused.
The agency stated that its inquiries into the implications of this incident are ongoing. Additionally, 9 News has reached out to Ku-ring-gai Council for further comments regarding the matter.