❓ Hon Robin Chapple questions the Minister for Environment regarding mercury contamination on mining tenements M15/497 and M15/498. The Department of Environment Regulation was aware of the contamination and has classified parts of the tenements as 'possibly contaminated—investigation required'.
AnsweredQoN 411Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
MINING
TENEMENTS M15/497 AND M15/498 — MERCURY CONTAMINATION
411. Hon ROBIN CHAPPLE to the minister representing the
Minister for Environment:
I refer to the land described as ''Approximate spatial
representation of part of mining tenements M15/497 and M15/498 located within
lot 101 on plan 238594 as shown on certificate of title LR3135/69l''.
(1) Has the
Department of Environment Regulation been made aware of mercury contamination
on these tenements?
(2) If yes to
(1), when was DER made aware?
(3) Are either of
these tenements, or any part thereof, declared by DER as suspected contaminated
sites?
(4) If yes to (3), when were the
declarations made?
TENEMENTS M15/497 AND M15/498 — MERCURY CONTAMINATION
411. Hon ROBIN CHAPPLE to the minister representing the
Minister for Environment:
I refer to the land described as ''Approximate spatial
representation of part of mining tenements M15/497 and M15/498 located within
lot 101 on plan 238594 as shown on certificate of title LR3135/69l''.
(1) Has the
Department of Environment Regulation been made aware of mercury contamination
on these tenements?
(2) If yes to
(1), when was DER made aware?
(3) Are either of
these tenements, or any part thereof, declared by DER as suspected contaminated
sites?
(4) If yes to (3), when were the
declarations made?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for some notice of the question.
(1) Yes. Soil
analysis results were provided to the then Department of Environment and
Conservation—now Department of Environment Regulation—in 2007
in a report commissioned by the former tenement holders. In 21 out of 22
tailings samples from the site, the concentration of mercury exceeded the
ecological investigation level as published in ''Assessment levels for
Soil, Sediment and Water'' by DEC in 2010, but did not exceed the
health-based investigation level for residential sites or the health-based
investigation level for commercial and industrial sites. In one sample, the
mercury concentration exceeded the health-based investigation level for
commercial and industrial sites. The presence of a substance in soil at
concentrations above the investigation levels is a trigger for further investigation
to determine whether the substance poses a risk to the environment or human
health.
(2) Suspected mercury contamination at the site was reported
to the then DEC on 1 June 2007.
(3) Yes. Parts
of the tenements have been classified under the Contaminated Sites Act 2003 as ''possibly
contaminated—investigation required''.
(4) On 4 December 2012.
(1) Yes. Soil
analysis results were provided to the then Department of Environment and
Conservation—now Department of Environment Regulation—in 2007
in a report commissioned by the former tenement holders. In 21 out of 22
tailings samples from the site, the concentration of mercury exceeded the
ecological investigation level as published in ''Assessment levels for
Soil, Sediment and Water'' by DEC in 2010, but did not exceed the
health-based investigation level for residential sites or the health-based
investigation level for commercial and industrial sites. In one sample, the
mercury concentration exceeded the health-based investigation level for
commercial and industrial sites. The presence of a substance in soil at
concentrations above the investigation levels is a trigger for further investigation
to determine whether the substance poses a risk to the environment or human
health.
(2) Suspected mercury contamination at the site was reported
to the then DEC on 1 June 2007.
(3) Yes. Parts
of the tenements have been classified under the Contaminated Sites Act 2003 as ''possibly
contaminated—investigation required''.
(4) On 4 December 2012.
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