❓ A WA parliamentary question addresses concerns about dust emissions from a CSR quarry in Gosnells, specifically regarding potential breaches of the National Environmental Protection Measure (NEPM) for fine dust (PM10) and the reliability of the data. The Minister acknowledges potential breaches based on a report but cites data limitations and ongoing monitoring efforts.
AnsweredQoN 1736Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
I refer to the Minister’s reply to the question I asked on Tuesday, March 2 2004 regarding dust from the CSR Limited Quarry at Gosnells, and I ask -
(1) What evidence available to the EPA and the DEP led to the conclusion ‘ there has been some indication that the surrounding areas may, on occasions, be in breach of a National Environmental Protection Measure (NEPM) for fine dust’?
(2) Does the DEP/EPA consider the data which indicated these occasional breaches to be reliable?
(3) Will the Minister table the Report or Reports from which these data were derived?
(1) What evidence available to the EPA and the DEP led to the conclusion ‘ there has been some indication that the surrounding areas may, on occasions, be in breach of a National Environmental Protection Measure (NEPM) for fine dust’?
(2) Does the DEP/EPA consider the data which indicated these occasional breaches to be reliable?
(3) Will the Minister table the Report or Reports from which these data were derived?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
30 March 2004
Responded by
Minister for Local Government and Regional Development representing the Minister for the Environment
Response time
26 days
(1) The indications of possible breaches of the National Environmental Protection Measure (NEPM) come from a 2002 report titled Buffer and Odour Assessment – Proposed West Martin Residential Project commissioned by the City of Gosnells from environmental consultants Sinclair Knight Merz. The National Environmental Protection (Ambient Air Quality) Measure includes a standard for particles (as PM10) of 50 µg/m3 (24 hour average). The associated goal for this NEPM standard (to be met by 2008) is that there are no more than 5 exceedences of the PM10 standard in any one year. The intent of the 5 annual exceedences of the standard is to allow for extreme meteorological conditions and the need to reduce the potential for bushfire through controlled burning. The report indicated that a portion of Lumen Christi College and some residents are in a zone which could expect 4 to 6 exceedences of the PM10 standard per year from quarry activities. This conclusion is based on computer modelling validated with limited monitoring data. Monitoring was not performed at the College itself. (2) Due to uncertainties associated with computer modelling and the short time period over which dust monitoring was carried out the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) believes that, at present, there are insufficient data available to draw definitive conclusions regarding dust levels at the school. The DEP is working with the quarry operators and other stakeholders to commence an extended dust monitoring program in the near future (3) The report was commissioned and is owned by the City of Gosnells who should be contacted for a copy.
The National Environmental Protection (Ambient Air Quality) Measure includes a standard for particles (as PM10) of 50 µg/m3 (24 hour average). The associated goal for this NEPM standard (to be met by 2008) is that there are no more than 5 exceedences of the PM10 standard in any one year. The intent of the 5 annual exceedences of the standard is to allow for extreme meteorological conditions and the need to reduce the potential for bushfire through controlled burning. The report indicated that a portion of Lumen Christi College and some residents are in a zone which could expect 4 to 6 exceedences of the PM10 standard per year from quarry activities. This conclusion is based on computer modelling validated with limited monitoring data. Monitoring was not performed at the College itself. (2) Due to uncertainties associated with computer modelling and the short time period over which dust monitoring was carried out the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) believes that, at present, there are insufficient data available to draw definitive conclusions regarding dust levels at the school. The DEP is working with the quarry operators and other stakeholders to commence an extended dust monitoring program in the near future (3) The report was commissioned and is owned by the City of Gosnells who should be contacted for a copy.
The report indicated that a portion of Lumen Christi College and some residents are in a zone which could expect 4 to 6 exceedences of the PM10 standard per year from quarry activities. This conclusion is based on computer modelling validated with limited monitoring data. Monitoring was not performed at the College itself. (2) Due to uncertainties associated with computer modelling and the short time period over which dust monitoring was carried out the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) believes that, at present, there are insufficient data available to draw definitive conclusions regarding dust levels at the school. The DEP is working with the quarry operators and other stakeholders to commence an extended dust monitoring program in the near future (3) The report was commissioned and is owned by the City of Gosnells who should be contacted for a copy.
(2) Due to uncertainties associated with computer modelling and the short time period over which dust monitoring was carried out the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) believes that, at present, there are insufficient data available to draw definitive conclusions regarding dust levels at the school. The DEP is working with the quarry operators and other stakeholders to commence an extended dust monitoring program in the near future (3) The report was commissioned and is owned by the City of Gosnells who should be contacted for a copy.
The DEP is working with the quarry operators and other stakeholders to commence an extended dust monitoring program in the near future (3) The report was commissioned and is owned by the City of Gosnells who should be contacted for a copy.
(3) The report was commissioned and is owned by the City of Gosnells who should be contacted for a copy.
The National Environmental Protection (Ambient Air Quality) Measure includes a standard for particles (as PM10) of 50 µg/m3 (24 hour average). The associated goal for this NEPM standard (to be met by 2008) is that there are no more than 5 exceedences of the PM10 standard in any one year. The intent of the 5 annual exceedences of the standard is to allow for extreme meteorological conditions and the need to reduce the potential for bushfire through controlled burning. The report indicated that a portion of Lumen Christi College and some residents are in a zone which could expect 4 to 6 exceedences of the PM10 standard per year from quarry activities. This conclusion is based on computer modelling validated with limited monitoring data. Monitoring was not performed at the College itself. (2) Due to uncertainties associated with computer modelling and the short time period over which dust monitoring was carried out the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) believes that, at present, there are insufficient data available to draw definitive conclusions regarding dust levels at the school. The DEP is working with the quarry operators and other stakeholders to commence an extended dust monitoring program in the near future (3) The report was commissioned and is owned by the City of Gosnells who should be contacted for a copy.
The report indicated that a portion of Lumen Christi College and some residents are in a zone which could expect 4 to 6 exceedences of the PM10 standard per year from quarry activities. This conclusion is based on computer modelling validated with limited monitoring data. Monitoring was not performed at the College itself. (2) Due to uncertainties associated with computer modelling and the short time period over which dust monitoring was carried out the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) believes that, at present, there are insufficient data available to draw definitive conclusions regarding dust levels at the school. The DEP is working with the quarry operators and other stakeholders to commence an extended dust monitoring program in the near future (3) The report was commissioned and is owned by the City of Gosnells who should be contacted for a copy.
(2) Due to uncertainties associated with computer modelling and the short time period over which dust monitoring was carried out the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) believes that, at present, there are insufficient data available to draw definitive conclusions regarding dust levels at the school. The DEP is working with the quarry operators and other stakeholders to commence an extended dust monitoring program in the near future (3) The report was commissioned and is owned by the City of Gosnells who should be contacted for a copy.
The DEP is working with the quarry operators and other stakeholders to commence an extended dust monitoring program in the near future (3) The report was commissioned and is owned by the City of Gosnells who should be contacted for a copy.
(3) The report was commissioned and is owned by the City of Gosnells who should be contacted for a copy.
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