❓ Dr. Steve Thomas questions the Minister for the Environment regarding PFAS contamination limits at the Dardanup landfill and PFAS levels in soil from the Forrestfield-Airport Link project. The Minister provides concentration limits and PFAS levels, stating the soil is not considered waste.
AnsweredQoN 138Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
PFAS—Dardanup and Forrestfield
138. Hon Dr Steve Thomas to the Minister for the
Environment:
I refer to the
approval granted recently by the Department of Water and Environmental
Regulation to the operators of a South West landfill site to accept per- and
polyfluoroalkyl substances, known as PFAS.
(1) What is
the maximum concentration of PFAS in waste that will be able to be accepted by
the Dardanup site?
(2) What is
the maximum concentration of the component chemicals of PFAS that can be
accepted by the site?
(3) What is
the concentration of PFAS in soil extracted from the Forrestfield–Airport
Link project and stockpiled by the government at 777 Abernethy Road,
Forrestfield?
(4) How
long can the government store Forrestfield–Airport Link soil on the
temporary sites before it is considered a waste?
138. Hon Dr Steve Thomas to the Minister for the
Environment:
I refer to the
approval granted recently by the Department of Water and Environmental
Regulation to the operators of a South West landfill site to accept per- and
polyfluoroalkyl substances, known as PFAS.
(1) What is
the maximum concentration of PFAS in waste that will be able to be accepted by
the Dardanup site?
(2) What is
the maximum concentration of the component chemicals of PFAS that can be
accepted by the site?
(3) What is
the concentration of PFAS in soil extracted from the Forrestfield–Airport
Link project and stockpiled by the government at 777 Abernethy Road,
Forrestfield?
(4) How
long can the government store Forrestfield–Airport Link soil on the
temporary sites before it is considered a waste?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member
for some notice of the question. I am not sure I will thank him for all the
words that I am going to mispronounce, but I will give it my best shot.
(1)–(2) The amended licence for Cleanaway
Solid Waste Pty Ltd's Banksia Road putrescible landfill in Dardanup sets the
following maximum concentrations for special waste type 3, which is solid waste
impacted by perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances or PFAS. For the sum
of perfluorooctane sulfonate and perfluorohexane sulfonate, the concentration
limit is 50 milligrams per kilogram and the leachable concentration is 0.7 micrograms
per litre. For perfluorooctanoic acid, the concentration limit is 50 milligrams
per kilogram and the leachable concentration is 5.6 micrograms per litre. Waste
must meet both the concentration limit and the leachable concentration. The
specified maximum concentrations are those recommended in the 2025 PFAS National Environmental Management Plan 3.0 .
(3) The concentrations of PFAS in the soil are
below the human health and ecological assessment criteria in the national
environmental management plan. The most commonly detected PFAS compound in the
Forrestfield–Airport Link project's excess fill is perfluorooctane
sulfonate, of which the highest concentration measured has been 0.007 milligrams
per kilogram.
(4) The Public Transport Authority has advised
that it does not consider the material to be waste. As set out in the
Department of Water and Environmental Regulation's Fact sheet—Assessing whether material is waste ,
it is the responsibility of the person in possession of material to determine
whether it is waste or not.
for some notice of the question. I am not sure I will thank him for all the
words that I am going to mispronounce, but I will give it my best shot.
(1)–(2) The amended licence for Cleanaway
Solid Waste Pty Ltd's Banksia Road putrescible landfill in Dardanup sets the
following maximum concentrations for special waste type 3, which is solid waste
impacted by perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances or PFAS. For the sum
of perfluorooctane sulfonate and perfluorohexane sulfonate, the concentration
limit is 50 milligrams per kilogram and the leachable concentration is 0.7 micrograms
per litre. For perfluorooctanoic acid, the concentration limit is 50 milligrams
per kilogram and the leachable concentration is 5.6 micrograms per litre. Waste
must meet both the concentration limit and the leachable concentration. The
specified maximum concentrations are those recommended in the 2025 PFAS National Environmental Management Plan 3.0 .
(3) The concentrations of PFAS in the soil are
below the human health and ecological assessment criteria in the national
environmental management plan. The most commonly detected PFAS compound in the
Forrestfield–Airport Link project's excess fill is perfluorooctane
sulfonate, of which the highest concentration measured has been 0.007 milligrams
per kilogram.
(4) The Public Transport Authority has advised
that it does not consider the material to be waste. As set out in the
Department of Water and Environmental Regulation's Fact sheet—Assessing whether material is waste ,
it is the responsibility of the person in possession of material to determine
whether it is waste or not.
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