Question On Notice No. 1095 asked in the Legislative Council on 6 May 2014 by Hon Lynn Maclaren
Question Directed to the: Attorney General representing the Minister for Emergency Services
Parliament: 39 Session: 1
Tabled Paper No: 1528-
View tabled paper
Question
I refer to the spillage of the toxic herbicide paraquat through
Maddington and Kewdale, which was reported on 29 January 2014, and ask:
(a) how far did the herbicide spread; and
(b) what advice was provided to residents in the affected streets and others who may have come into contact with the pesticide?
Answered on 17 June 2014
The Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES) advises:
(a) The spread of the herbicide Paraquat was caused by the chemical leaking from a vehicle in transit from Fremantle Port to Maddington. There was minimal spillage along the route which included the following roads:
o Port Beach Road;
o Tydeman Road;
o Stirling Highway;
o Leach Highway;
o Kwinana Freeway;
o Roe Highway;
o Kenwick Link;
o Royal Street;
o Bickley Road;
o Valencia Way; and
o Orchard Road.
The majority of chemical spilt was at the Orchard Road and Miles Road sites where the spill was contained. Spills that pooled at intersections along the route were cleaned up by a chemical contractor with assistance from the Department of Fire and Emergency Services.
(b) DFES issued a media statement titled, "Chemical incident along truck route between Fremantle and Maddington," at approximately 12.25am on Wednesday 29 January, regarding the incident [See tabled paper no.].
The statement was issued to media outlets across the Perth metropolitan area. DFES contacted ABC Radio to request that the information be broadcast immediately. The request was granted.
The statement was also published on the DFES website and distributed via DFES social media channels (Twitter). The statement received widespread media coverage, particularly on online news outlets.
DFES were proactive in seeking media interviews to communicate the safety advice to the community. Interviews were carried out on a variety of media outlets including ABC 720 Perth and 882 6PR.