Fremantle Port- Lead Testing

Submitted by Lynn MacLaren on Fri, 24/09/2010 - 15:24
Question Without Notice No. 847 asked in the Legislative Council on 9 September 2009 by Hon Lynn Maclaren

Parliament: 38 Session: 1


FREMANTLE PORT — LEAD TESTING

847. Hon LYNN MacLAREN to the Minister for Transport:

(1) Magellan Metals’ baseline lead testing revealed three high lead readings at the port of Fremantle; namely, 650, 1 100 and 840 milligrams per kilogram of lead at three separate locations at the port.

(a) Can the minister please explain the source of this lead contamination?


(b) Is the port of Fremantle planning to conduct further lead testing?

(c) Can the minister please explain how the port intends to clean up this lead contamination?

(2) What level of lead dust would have to escape from a container before it was picked up by air monitors at the port?

Hon SIMON O’BRIEN replied:

I thank the member for some notice of her question. I provide the following answer.

(1) (a) In relation to trying to explain the source of this lead contamination, as the member calls it, the results reflect background levels of lead in the atmosphere. The above results are from the static dust sampling testing that is undertaken by Magellan prior to any Magellan lead being exported. The results provide an assessment of the lead concentration in the dust collected over the sampling period. It reflects a concentration, not a mass.

(b) In relation to further lead testing, ongoing monitoring at these locations indicates that the results quoted are anomalous for these sites.

(c) There is no requirement for any clean-up.

(2) Once exports commence, any exceedence of the baseline established before commencement will trigger a further investigation by Magellan, including further sampling to identify the source lead.




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