Question Without Notice No. 294 asked in the Legislative Council on 19 May 2005 by Hon Lynn Maclaren
Parliament: 37 Session: 1
WESTERN MINING CORPORATION’S KALGOORLIE NICKEL SMELTER, SULFUR FUMES
294. Hon LYNN MacLAREN to the minister representing the Minister for State Development:
In an article on page 1 of the Kalgoorlie Miner on 18 September 1996 entitled “fumes affect workers: claim”, the Department of Industry and Resources is reported to have been investigating complaints from workers alleging they had been gassed by sulfur fumes during the start up of the acid recovery plant at the Western Mining Corporation’s Kalgoorlie Nickel Smelter.
(1) Will the minister confirm that the Department of Industry and Resources completed an investigation into the alleged gassing of workers during the start up of the acid plant at the Kalgoorlie nickel smelter?
(a) If yes, will the minister table the department’s investigation reports and documents; and
(b) if no, why not?
(2) Will the minister confirm that the elevated sulfur dioxide levels affecting workers in the control room of the acid plant were caused by interruptions to the plant’s electricity supply, resulting in the plant’s control system being tripped?
(3) Will the minister confirm that the plant’s control system was tripped on 26 July 1996, the day of the acid plant start up?
Hon KIM CHANCE replied:
I thank the member for some notice of this question. I have two questions of which some notice has been given by Hon Lynn MacLaren. I was hoping she would ask the other question because I have a much better answer to that.
The DEPUTY PRESIDENT: I will ensure that retiring members get a chance to ask two questions.
Hon KIM CHANCE: I will get on with it then. Given that the honourable member is requesting information of an incident that occurred in 1996, I request that the question be placed on notice to allow time to ascertain the facts of the issue.