Magellan lead scandal - new questions over 4 month wait for results

Submitted by Lynn MacLaren on Fri, 07/01/2011 - 17:06

The Greens have today unearthed the latest development in the Magellan lead scandal – evidence of disturbing lead levels in the company’s own monitoring data, which are taking unreasonable lengths of time to analyse.

The party has been scouring the company’s monitoring results since the scandal blew up just days ago.

"Magellan’s own monitoring data reveals disturbing lead levels in three of its fifteen drainage sump sites – which are locations at the Fremantle Port used to indicate whether lead has escaped the shipping containers,” said Fremantle-based South Metropolitan MLC Lynn MacLaren.

Such results are then supposed to trigger ‘isotopic testing’ of the lead to work out whether it was sourced from the Magellan Mine.

The Greens said that the testing was apparently happening, but at a completely unreasonable pace.

“These lead level spikes, one almost 150% above the trigger level, were recorded in September 2010. But 4 months on, the company has still not ascertained whether or not their lead is at fault," said Ms MacLaren.

A statement from Fremantle Ports yesterday revealed that Magellan had completed testing of 3 of 4 samples and determined that these 3 samples were not their lead.

“If the monitoring regime is going to achieve what it is designed to achieve – ensuring public safety – then it is totally unacceptable for this analysis to take so long, with further shipments passing through the Port until only very recently,” the south metro MLC added.

Ms MacLaren called on the State Government to explain whether or not it is partly responsible for this delay.

“We know that there have been other results that have not been reported to the authorities by the company, in compliance with their strict environmental conditions.

“The Government needs to clarify whether it knew about these concerning results, and if so what it has or will be doing to accelerate the work needed to ascertain whether Magellan is at fault.

“Until the studies are completed, clearly the lead export cannot re-commence,” concluded Ms MacLaren.

http://www.magellanmetals.com.au/media/12271/drainage_sump_sampling.pdf