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Parliamentary Questions


Question Without Notice No. 796 asked in the Legislative Council on 19 August 2009 by Hon Lynn Maclaren

Parliament: 38 Session: 1


fremantle port — lead shipments


796. Hon LYNN MacLAREN to the Minister for Environment:

I refer to the article in The West Australian of 18 August that identified that lead contamination at more than three times above World Health Organisation standards for residential areas has been detected at five sites along the route Magellan Metals will use to transport lead carbonate from Wiluna to Fremantle.

(1) Was the site in South Beach where extremely high levels of lead were detected an area that has already been extensively remediated?

(2) Does the $5 million security bond paid by Magellan Metals to transport lead carbonate by rail from Wiluna to Fremantle port cover the cost of testing for health impacts along the route or for the treatment of lead poisoning along the route should an accident occur?

Hon DONNA FARAGHER replied:

I thank the member for some notice of this question.

(1) No —

Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich interjected.

Hon DONNA FARAGHER: I can assure Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich that they are certainly far stricter than what they would have been under the previous government!

(1) No. Sample location DMTRS237 —

Hon Ken Travers interjected.

Hon DONNA FARAGHER: The member opposite is so funny!

(1) No. Sample location DMTRS237 —

Do members want to actually hear the answer or not?

The PRESIDENT: Order. The question has been asked. Give the minister the opportunity to answer the question, please.

Hon DONNA FARAGHER: Thank you, Mr President.

      Sample location DMTRS237 is within the rail corridor, approximately five metres west of the railway line near the Rollinson Road railway crossing in North Coogee. The rail corridor has not been subject to remediation works. The remediation works took place within residential developments to the east and west of the rail corridor in the South Beach area of North Coogee.
(2) Magellan Metals has an emergency response plan, approved by me, that it is required to implement in the event of a spill. This plan includes detailed emergency response procedures, clean-up procedures, post-incident clean-up sampling and reporting requirements, and the preparation of a site management plan should lead be present in the environment after clean-up. In addition, the Department of Environment and Conservation will also issue a clean-up scope of works, and, where required, an environmental protection notice or an environmental field notice. Should Magellan Metals fail to adequately implement the approved emergency response plan, the financial assurance of $5 million would be used by DEC to cover any costs incurred for the clean-up.