❓ Mr. Stephens questions the Minister for Housing and Works regarding waste management practices at the Balgo power station, alleging improper disposal of waste oil, contaminated soil, and batteries. The Minister denies the allegations but agrees to investigate further.
AnsweredQoN 1498Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
Further to an answer in response to Question Without Notice No. 710 in the Legislative Council on 11 August 2009, I ask:
(1) In reference to the answer which states that all drums which had accumulated at the power station compound have been removed and that the removal of drums is cyclical and done periodically:
(a) is it true that waste oil from Balgo power station has not been removed ‘periodically’;
(b) is it a fact that for several years this waste oil has been stored outside the Balgo power station in 44-gallon drums which have leaked and spilled waste oil over a large area and that there has been no ‘cyclical’ removal of these drums;
(c) is it true that the Kimberley Regional Service Provider have advised that they have no way to load the full drums onto the fuel truck, to transport them from the region, and are waiting for delivery of 1,000-litre pods for the disposal of waste oil; and
(d) is it true that the delivery of these pods has taken such an extended period to arrive because the original pods were plastic and not ultraviolet light resistant and therefore unsuitable for the task; and
(2) In reference to the Minister’s answer which states that all contaminated soil has been removed:
(a) is it now true that contaminated soil has not been removed from the area;
(b) is it a fact the area around the Balgo power station is still very much contaminated;
(c) is the Minister aware that a part of the area was top-dressed with ‘clean’ earth the day before the Minister visited Balgo in early July; and
(d) is it true that the soil beneath was not appropriately removed and that there is still a large area around the power station where no effort has been made to address the obvious oil contamination?
(3) In reference to the Minister’s answer which states that the Minister is advised that used batteries are stored in the power station compound for removal from the community, and are not disposed of at the local rubbish tip:
(a) is it true that used batteries may be "stored in the power station compound for removal from the community" but many were not;
(b) is the Minister aware that Palyalatju Maparnpa Health Committee (PMHC) has digital photos taken that show many discarded batteries in the area adjacent to the power station with the date indelibly imprinted on the digital photos;
(c) is the Minister aware that PMHC also found a large pile of very similar batteries in the scrub outside the Balgo tip, with a tyre added to the pile and the whole lot set alight; and
(d) is the Minister aware that PMHC found the still-smouldering pile and photographed it and that the residue of the burned batteries is yet to be removed?
(4) Will the Minister investigate these issues and ensure that there is remedial action taken and a further response that corrects this situation and the official record of it?
(1) In reference to the answer which states that all drums which had accumulated at the power station compound have been removed and that the removal of drums is cyclical and done periodically:
(a) is it true that waste oil from Balgo power station has not been removed ‘periodically’;
(b) is it a fact that for several years this waste oil has been stored outside the Balgo power station in 44-gallon drums which have leaked and spilled waste oil over a large area and that there has been no ‘cyclical’ removal of these drums;
(c) is it true that the Kimberley Regional Service Provider have advised that they have no way to load the full drums onto the fuel truck, to transport them from the region, and are waiting for delivery of 1,000-litre pods for the disposal of waste oil; and
(d) is it true that the delivery of these pods has taken such an extended period to arrive because the original pods were plastic and not ultraviolet light resistant and therefore unsuitable for the task; and
(2) In reference to the Minister’s answer which states that all contaminated soil has been removed:
(a) is it now true that contaminated soil has not been removed from the area;
(b) is it a fact the area around the Balgo power station is still very much contaminated;
(c) is the Minister aware that a part of the area was top-dressed with ‘clean’ earth the day before the Minister visited Balgo in early July; and
(d) is it true that the soil beneath was not appropriately removed and that there is still a large area around the power station where no effort has been made to address the obvious oil contamination?
(3) In reference to the Minister’s answer which states that the Minister is advised that used batteries are stored in the power station compound for removal from the community, and are not disposed of at the local rubbish tip:
(a) is it true that used batteries may be "stored in the power station compound for removal from the community" but many were not;
(b) is the Minister aware that Palyalatju Maparnpa Health Committee (PMHC) has digital photos taken that show many discarded batteries in the area adjacent to the power station with the date indelibly imprinted on the digital photos;
(c) is the Minister aware that PMHC also found a large pile of very similar batteries in the scrub outside the Balgo tip, with a tyre added to the pile and the whole lot set alight; and
(d) is the Minister aware that PMHC found the still-smouldering pile and photographed it and that the residue of the burned batteries is yet to be removed?
(4) Will the Minister investigate these issues and ensure that there is remedial action taken and a further response that corrects this situation and the official record of it?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
14 October 2009
Responded by
Minister for Housing and Works
Response time
35 days
(1)(a) This has not been the case in the past but as advised in the answer to Legislative Council Question Without Notice No. 710, all accumulated waste oil has been removed and removal will occur periodically.
(b) See answer to Question 1(a). Used oil drums are now stored in a locked compound to prevent access by unauthorised persons and opportunities for spillage.
(c)-(d) No, this is not the advice provided to the Department of Housing by Kimberley Regional Service Providers.
(2)(a) No
(b) The Balgo power station site has been used for approximately forty years. It has been a community owned and operated power station for most of this time and some fuel and oil contamination is possible.
(c) No - Clean soil was used to back fill contaminated soil removed from the area.
(d) See answer to (2)(b)
(3)(a) No. All batteries from the power station have been removed.
(b) No
(c) No
(d) No
(4) Advice from the Department of Housing and the Kimberley Regional Service Providers indicates that remedial action has been taken. While no photographic evidence to the contrary has been provided to the Department, I have asked that contact be made with the Palyalatju Maparnpa Health Committee (PMHC) so the origin of the batteries can be identified, and if it is established they have originated from the power station, remedial action will be taken.
Notice: This document is created or edited using unregistered or evaluation copy of rtLib valid for testing or development purposes only. To use it for productive or any other purposes please register it. You may purchase the license on
http://www.rtlib.com
(b) See answer to Question 1(a). Used oil drums are now stored in a locked compound to prevent access by unauthorised persons and opportunities for spillage.
(c)-(d) No, this is not the advice provided to the Department of Housing by Kimberley Regional Service Providers.
(2)(a) No
(b) The Balgo power station site has been used for approximately forty years. It has been a community owned and operated power station for most of this time and some fuel and oil contamination is possible.
(c) No - Clean soil was used to back fill contaminated soil removed from the area.
(d) See answer to (2)(b)
(3)(a) No. All batteries from the power station have been removed.
(b) No
(c) No
(d) No
(4) Advice from the Department of Housing and the Kimberley Regional Service Providers indicates that remedial action has been taken. While no photographic evidence to the contrary has been provided to the Department, I have asked that contact be made with the Palyalatju Maparnpa Health Committee (PMHC) so the origin of the batteries can be identified, and if it is established they have originated from the power station, remedial action will be taken.
Notice: This document is created or edited using unregistered or evaluation copy of rtLib valid for testing or development purposes only. To use it for productive or any other purposes please register it. You may purchase the license on
http://www.rtlib.com
Explore WA Government Data
Search the full archive in the free dashboard, or query programmatically via API.
Explore more
Government Gazette
Appointments, regulatory notices, planning changes.
Hansard
Debates, questions, speeches and sentiment.
Tabled Papers
Reports and documents tabled in Parliament.
Committees
Committee profiles and recent reports.
Regulations
Subsidiary legislation with filters and summaries.
Bills
Proposed laws and parliamentary progress.
Acts
Current WA legislation and summaries.
Explanatory Memoranda
Bills with EMs (text/PDF) available.
Members
MP profiles, party breakdown and rankings.
Pollie Rankings
Data-driven rankings across 19 categories.
Amendment Chains
Track how schemes and regulations evolve over time.