A CONTAMINATED lake used as a fishing hole at the CFA’s Fiskville training college was easily accessible by the public.
A long-time trainer at the college, who wished to remain anonymous, said Lake Fiskville was about 100 metres from a block of residential houses.
‘‘I know of a few people who have fished from that lake,’’ he said. ‘‘It’s easily accessible – it was so open. Anybody could have accessed it. There are about eight to 10 houses nearby.’’
The revelation comes amid concerns that the number of CFA employees feared to have eaten redfin caught from the lake could grow.
The CFA is offering health checks after a toxicology report found in February that four fish in the lake contained perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), a chemical in foams used at the site.
High levels of PFOS can change blood cholesterol and blood lipids, which are indicators of risk for cardiovascular disease. Last July, the Professor Joy report recommended further investigations, including of PFOS discharges to the lake and off site. The Weekly understands employees were still fishing from the lake as late as last year.
CFA spokesman Gerard Scholten said several employees had admitted to recreational fishing at the lake.
‘‘We’ve had a few people, less than a dozen,’’ he said. However, Mr Scholten said the risk to employees at this stage was ‘‘low’’.
‘‘You have to eat a lot of it to get into the blood stream,’’ he said. ‘‘You would have to eat it regularly, once a week. The concern is some employees took fish home to eat with their family.’’
The Weekly understands the lake is connected to other dams that have since been shut down. The CFA is in the process of removing all fish from the lake. Fiskville switched from dam water to town mains water for training in June last year.
Anyone who believes they may have eaten fish from Lake Fiskville is urged to call 1800 628 616
