❓ Hon Robin Chapple questions the safety of the Tellus Sandy Ridge project, particularly regarding radioactive leaks and long-term safety, given construction has commenced before a detailed safety review. The parliamentary secretary deflects, stating the Minister for Mines and Petroleum is responsible for construction approvals.
AnsweredQoN 782Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
TELLUS HOLDINGS —
SANDY RIDGE PROJECT
782. Hon ROBIN CHAPPLE to the parliamentary secretary
representing the Minister for Health:
This question is an oldie but a goodie,
and is from March. I do apologise.
I refer to question without notice
52 asked by me of the Minister for Health on Thursday, 14 February 2019,
regarding the Tellus Sandy Ridge project.
(1) As the
construction has now commenced at the site without the detailed safety review,
as the minister has mentioned in his reply, can the minister assure the WA
public that the project is absolutely safe, that all radiation baseline
monitoring has been undertaken and that there will be absolutely no radioactive
leaks of any kind in the near, intermediate and far—10 000 years or
more—future?
(2) If yes to
(1), can the minister provide all technical grounds and justification for his
opinion, especially modelling of the behaviour of all radionuclides to be
disposed at the facility for 10 000 to 100 000 years?
(3) If no to (2), why is a project
that has not been determined to be safe allowed to proceed?
SANDY RIDGE PROJECT
782. Hon ROBIN CHAPPLE to the parliamentary secretary
representing the Minister for Health:
This question is an oldie but a goodie,
and is from March. I do apologise.
I refer to question without notice
52 asked by me of the Minister for Health on Thursday, 14 February 2019,
regarding the Tellus Sandy Ridge project.
(1) As the
construction has now commenced at the site without the detailed safety review,
as the minister has mentioned in his reply, can the minister assure the WA
public that the project is absolutely safe, that all radiation baseline
monitoring has been undertaken and that there will be absolutely no radioactive
leaks of any kind in the near, intermediate and far—10 000 years or
more—future?
(2) If yes to
(1), can the minister provide all technical grounds and justification for his
opinion, especially modelling of the behaviour of all radionuclides to be
disposed at the facility for 10 000 to 100 000 years?
(3) If no to (2), why is a project
that has not been determined to be safe allowed to proceed?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the honourable member for
some notice of the question, noting that the answer was provided on Tuesday, 19
March, so the information was correct as at that date.
Hon Simon O'Brien :
Ten thousand years old!
Hon ALANNA CLOHESY : Yes.
(1)–(3) Issues
associated with construction should be referred to the Minister for Mines and
Petroleum; Energy; Industrial Relations, as the approval for the construction
of facilities associated with the kaolin mine is under the jurisdiction of the
Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety. As mentioned in the
response to the question without notice 52, the application has yet to be fully
reviewed and a number of approvals are being assessed across government and are
still outstanding.
some notice of the question, noting that the answer was provided on Tuesday, 19
March, so the information was correct as at that date.
Hon Simon O'Brien :
Ten thousand years old!
Hon ALANNA CLOHESY : Yes.
(1)–(3) Issues
associated with construction should be referred to the Minister for Mines and
Petroleum; Energy; Industrial Relations, as the approval for the construction
of facilities associated with the kaolin mine is under the jurisdiction of the
Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety. As mentioned in the
response to the question without notice 52, the application has yet to be fully
reviewed and a number of approvals are being assessed across government and are
still outstanding.
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