❓ A WA parliamentary question on notice addresses the storage of arsenic trioxide at the Kanowna Belle gold mine, focusing on environmental and worker safety, and compliance with license conditions. The Minister's response provides details on storage practices, monitoring, and quantities.
AnsweredQoN 2304Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
I refer to the Kanowna Belle gold mine and Raleigh Gold mine both owned by Barrick Gold located near Kalgoorlie Boulder, and I ask -
(1) Is it correct that arsenic trioxide is stored underground at the Kanowna Belle gold mine and was previously given approval on the basis that this material was to be disposed of at the remote Mt Walton waste disposal site?
(2) If no to (1), what specifically is correct in relation to these matters?
(3) If yes to (1), -
(a) in what year did this change; and
(b) why did it change?
(4) Did the Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC) previously impose any conditions or mechanisms in place to protect workers and the environment when the arsenic trioxide was permitted to be stored underground, as opposed to being dumped at the remote Mt Walton waste disposal facility?
(5) If no to (4), why not?
(6) If yes to (4), what were those conditions or mechanisms put in place to protect workers and the environment?
(7) Will the Minister explain the purpose of licence condition s 1 and s 2 for the Kanowna Belle gold mine?
(8) If no to (7), why not?
(9) Can the Minister state in metres, at what depth below the surface is arsenic trioxide being stored in the mine?
(10) If no to (9), why not?
(11) Does an inspector when visiting the Kanowna Belle premises check compliance with licence conditions by going underground on every occasion, to ensure that the blocks/briquettes of treated waste arsenic trioxide have been stored correctly and surrounded by tailings paste which can clearly contain any leakage?
(12) If no to (11), -
(a) why not; and
(b) how does the inspector check independently of the mine that all licence conditions have been complied with?
(13) If yes to (11), does the inspector take photographic evidence?
(14) Can the Minister state how many tonnes of arsenic trioxide have been stored underground at the Kanowna Belle gold mine?
(15) If no to (14), why not?
(1) Is it correct that arsenic trioxide is stored underground at the Kanowna Belle gold mine and was previously given approval on the basis that this material was to be disposed of at the remote Mt Walton waste disposal site?
(2) If no to (1), what specifically is correct in relation to these matters?
(3) If yes to (1), -
(a) in what year did this change; and
(b) why did it change?
(4) Did the Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC) previously impose any conditions or mechanisms in place to protect workers and the environment when the arsenic trioxide was permitted to be stored underground, as opposed to being dumped at the remote Mt Walton waste disposal facility?
(5) If no to (4), why not?
(6) If yes to (4), what were those conditions or mechanisms put in place to protect workers and the environment?
(7) Will the Minister explain the purpose of licence condition s 1 and s 2 for the Kanowna Belle gold mine?
(8) If no to (7), why not?
(9) Can the Minister state in metres, at what depth below the surface is arsenic trioxide being stored in the mine?
(10) If no to (9), why not?
(11) Does an inspector when visiting the Kanowna Belle premises check compliance with licence conditions by going underground on every occasion, to ensure that the blocks/briquettes of treated waste arsenic trioxide have been stored correctly and surrounded by tailings paste which can clearly contain any leakage?
(12) If no to (11), -
(a) why not; and
(b) how does the inspector check independently of the mine that all licence conditions have been complied with?
(13) If yes to (11), does the inspector take photographic evidence?
(14) Can the Minister state how many tonnes of arsenic trioxide have been stored underground at the Kanowna Belle gold mine?
(15) If no to (14), why not?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
15 June 2010
Responded by
Minister for Environment
Response time
42 days
(1-2) Yes.
(3)(a) - (b) Arsenic trioxide was previously disposed of at the Mt Walton waste disposal site. However, when treatment options improved in the late 1990s, disposal at Mt Walton was no longer appropriate. Waste disposal at Mt Walton was originally approved prior to available destruction, disposal or management technology available in Australia (as per Ministerial Statement 562).
(4-6) Yes. A copy of the licence and its conditions is available on the Department of Environment and Conservation's website at
www.dec.wa.gov.au
. The conditions relating to arsenic trioxide are Conditions W13 - W20, and S1 - S2 (copy attached).
(7-8) Arsenic trioxide is collected in bag filters associated with the stack on site, as a means to prevent it getting into the atmosphere above set concentrations. Condition S1 ensures that these bag filters are appropriately stored and disposed of once they have been depleted. Condition S2 ensures that arsenic trioxide which has been treated to a dolocrete encapsulated arsenic trioxide is further encased in a concrete-like tailings paste.
(9-10) Underground storage takes place after the arsenic trioxide is treated to become dolocrete encapsulated arsenic trioxide, and it is tested to ensure it meets applicable environmental standards as per the licence conditions. Barrick Kanowna has advised DEC that the dolocrete encapsulated arsenic trioxide is disposed of between 245 and 375 metres below the surface, although the depth is not a licence condition.
(11-13) I have been advised that DEC inspected the storage of arsenic trioxide underground on 7 May 2010. Inspections and site visits occur for a variety of reasons, such as response to incidents, following up complaints, discussions about future activities and licence condition compliance checks. Therefore, it would be inappropriate to undertake visits to underground operations during every site visit or inspection.
DEC uses a number of methods to check compliance, including inspections, site visits, reviewing annual reports (and other reports such as air quality data), and reviewing and investigating incident reports and complaints.
(14-15) Barrack Kanowna has advised DEC that an equivalent weight of 350 tonnes of arsenic trioxide has been treated for storage underground within 10,578 blocks of dolocrete encapsulated arsenic trioxide.
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(3)(a) - (b) Arsenic trioxide was previously disposed of at the Mt Walton waste disposal site. However, when treatment options improved in the late 1990s, disposal at Mt Walton was no longer appropriate. Waste disposal at Mt Walton was originally approved prior to available destruction, disposal or management technology available in Australia (as per Ministerial Statement 562).
(4-6) Yes. A copy of the licence and its conditions is available on the Department of Environment and Conservation's website at
www.dec.wa.gov.au
. The conditions relating to arsenic trioxide are Conditions W13 - W20, and S1 - S2 (copy attached).
(7-8) Arsenic trioxide is collected in bag filters associated with the stack on site, as a means to prevent it getting into the atmosphere above set concentrations. Condition S1 ensures that these bag filters are appropriately stored and disposed of once they have been depleted. Condition S2 ensures that arsenic trioxide which has been treated to a dolocrete encapsulated arsenic trioxide is further encased in a concrete-like tailings paste.
(9-10) Underground storage takes place after the arsenic trioxide is treated to become dolocrete encapsulated arsenic trioxide, and it is tested to ensure it meets applicable environmental standards as per the licence conditions. Barrick Kanowna has advised DEC that the dolocrete encapsulated arsenic trioxide is disposed of between 245 and 375 metres below the surface, although the depth is not a licence condition.
(11-13) I have been advised that DEC inspected the storage of arsenic trioxide underground on 7 May 2010. Inspections and site visits occur for a variety of reasons, such as response to incidents, following up complaints, discussions about future activities and licence condition compliance checks. Therefore, it would be inappropriate to undertake visits to underground operations during every site visit or inspection.
DEC uses a number of methods to check compliance, including inspections, site visits, reviewing annual reports (and other reports such as air quality data), and reviewing and investigating incident reports and complaints.
(14-15) Barrack Kanowna has advised DEC that an equivalent weight of 350 tonnes of arsenic trioxide has been treated for storage underground within 10,578 blocks of dolocrete encapsulated arsenic trioxide.
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
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