Fremantle Freight routes - air quality monitoring

Submitted by Louise Sales on Thu, 26/05/2011 - 15:20

Extract from Hansard
[COUNCIL — Wednesday, 25 May 2011]
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Hon Lynn MacLaren; Hon Helen Morton

FREMANTLE FREIGHT ROUTES — AIR QUALITY MONITORING

Hon LYNN MacLAREN to the minister representing the Minister for Environment:

(1) What air quality monitoring exists along the main freight routes accessing Fremantle port?

(2) At what locations and frequency is the air quality monitored, and is particulate pollution included in the
monitoring?

(3) Have there been any breaches of air quality standards in recent years?

(4) Will the minister table the air quality results from the past year, including levels of particulate
pollution?

(5) Has any modelling been undertaken of the likely impact on air quality and particulate pollution levels of
the predicted increase in truck freight to and from the port over the next few years?

HON HELEN MORTON (East Metropolitan — Minister for Mental Health) [5.05 pm]: I would like to
provide an answer to Hon Lynn MacLaren’s question without notice 401 asked yesterday. I seek leave to table
the response and have it incorporated into Hansard.
Leave granted. [See paper 3343.]

The following material was incorporated —

I thank the Hon. Member for some notice of this question.
The Minister for Environment has provided the following advice.
Answer:

(1)–(2) The Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC) does not conduct air quality monitoring along freight routes in Western Australia. However, DEC conducted a campaign monitoring study from May 2007 to May 2008, to gather data on the
concentration of traffic-related particles and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs).

DEC collected air samples from three sites. Total suspended particles (TSP) were sampled at two sites (Brentwood and Melville)
located along Leach Highway and PAHs were sampled at a site located near the junction of Canning Highway and Stirling
Highway in East Fremantle.

During the study period a total of 59 samples were collected at each of the TSP monitoring sites, and 60 samples at the PAH air
monitoring site.

No additional traffic corridor related monitoring has been undertaken by DEC since May 2008.

(3) No.

(4) Refer to (2). However, I now table the study report, entitled Perth traffic corridor study 2007–2008 (Report AQM 03), which is
available on DEC’s website.

(5) DEC has not undertaken any modelling.