❓ Hon Robin Chapple questions the Minister for Environment regarding the disposal of arsenic trioxide at the Barrick Kanowna Belle mine, focusing on safety procedures, quantities, and potential environmental and health risks. The Minister's response clarifies the disposal process involves dolocrete encapsulation, not soil mixing, and refers some health and safety aspects to other ministers.
AnsweredQoN 2533Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
I refer to the Barrick Kanowna Belle operations, analysis results of tests conducted on soil/mud and water samples for arsenic conducted by MPL Laboratories, dated 5 May 2010, and a letter from Evan Spencer, General Mine Manager for Barrick Kanowna dated 9 June 2010, which are available for viewing at
http://www.robinchapple.org.au/node/460
entitled, ‘2010-05-05 Kanowna Belle Arsenic Trioxide Results.pdf’ and ‘2010-06-09 Kanowna Belle Arsenic Letter Evan Spencer.pdf, and ask -
(1) Is it correct that the arsenic contained in arsenic trioxide, -
(a) can be up to 500 times stronger than arsenic itself;
(b) is very toxic;
(c) is a known carcinogenic;
(d) is dangerous to the environment; and
(e) enters easily into human beings through ingestion, inhalation and absorption?
(2) If no to (1), what specifically is correct concerning this matter?
(3) Is it correct that arsenic is in fact contained in the ore body in the Kanowna Belle Mine, and that arsenic trioxide is one of the hazardous by products of the processing of the ore, from this mine at the Kanowna Belle Mill, and that it is disposed of underground in the very upper levels of this mine?
(4) If no to (3), what specifically is correct concerning this matter?
(5) Is it correct that the procedure for disposing of arsenic trioxide underground in the Kanowna Belle mine is as follows, -
(a) the arsenic trioxide is mixed with soil do dilute it;
(b) the mixture of arsenic trioxide and soil is also mixed with water a setting agent like concrete and placed into a bulker bag;
(c) this mixture is then allowed to dry completely and set thoroughly to encapsulate the arsenic trioxide in a ‘brick’;
(d) each and every one of the arsenic trioxide bricks, when it has dried and set thoroughly is drilled to the centre to ensure that it had both dried and set like concrete; and
(e) each brick was disposed of in a suitable area of the mine where it was to be encapsulated again in shotcrete?
(6) If no to (5), what specifically is correct concerning this matter?
(7) Is it correct that the procedure referred to in (5), was to ensure that the arsenic could not in any way, be released into the mine where the employees still work continually, so that the occupational health of the employees working in the mine was assured?
(8) If no to (7), what specifically is correct concerning this matter?
(9) Can the Minister state exactly how long in weeks, months and years, that arsenic trioxide has been disposed of underground, in the very upper levels of the Kanowna Belle mine?
(10) If no to (9), why not?
(11) Can the Minister state exactly, -
(a) how many bulker bags containing arsenic trioxide;
(b) exactly how many tonnes of soil and arsenic trioxide mixture; and
(c) exactly how much arsenic trioxide itself in tones and kilogram’s, are/is disposed of underground in the very upper levels of the Kanowna Belle mine?
(12) If no to (11), why not?
(13) Is it correct that the arsenic trioxide that was disposed of underground in the Kanowna Belle Mine, was meant to be encapsulated as a brick, dry and set like concrete to ensure that, -
(a) the soil which the arsenic trioxide was mixed through and the arsenic trioxide itself could not dry out, and the arsenic then dispersed into the air as a powder, and therefore through the ventilation of the entire mine, causing all employees in that mine to inhale arsenic;
(b) should any water flow into the soil which the arsenic trioxide was mixed through, and then continue down through the mine, that that water would not be contaminated with arsenic and be absorbed through the skin of employees working in the mine that came in contact with the contaminated water; and
(c) the environment was not polluted?
(14) If no to (13), what specifically is correct concerning this matter?
http://www.robinchapple.org.au/node/460
entitled, ‘2010-05-05 Kanowna Belle Arsenic Trioxide Results.pdf’ and ‘2010-06-09 Kanowna Belle Arsenic Letter Evan Spencer.pdf, and ask -
(1) Is it correct that the arsenic contained in arsenic trioxide, -
(a) can be up to 500 times stronger than arsenic itself;
(b) is very toxic;
(c) is a known carcinogenic;
(d) is dangerous to the environment; and
(e) enters easily into human beings through ingestion, inhalation and absorption?
(2) If no to (1), what specifically is correct concerning this matter?
(3) Is it correct that arsenic is in fact contained in the ore body in the Kanowna Belle Mine, and that arsenic trioxide is one of the hazardous by products of the processing of the ore, from this mine at the Kanowna Belle Mill, and that it is disposed of underground in the very upper levels of this mine?
(4) If no to (3), what specifically is correct concerning this matter?
(5) Is it correct that the procedure for disposing of arsenic trioxide underground in the Kanowna Belle mine is as follows, -
(a) the arsenic trioxide is mixed with soil do dilute it;
(b) the mixture of arsenic trioxide and soil is also mixed with water a setting agent like concrete and placed into a bulker bag;
(c) this mixture is then allowed to dry completely and set thoroughly to encapsulate the arsenic trioxide in a ‘brick’;
(d) each and every one of the arsenic trioxide bricks, when it has dried and set thoroughly is drilled to the centre to ensure that it had both dried and set like concrete; and
(e) each brick was disposed of in a suitable area of the mine where it was to be encapsulated again in shotcrete?
(6) If no to (5), what specifically is correct concerning this matter?
(7) Is it correct that the procedure referred to in (5), was to ensure that the arsenic could not in any way, be released into the mine where the employees still work continually, so that the occupational health of the employees working in the mine was assured?
(8) If no to (7), what specifically is correct concerning this matter?
(9) Can the Minister state exactly how long in weeks, months and years, that arsenic trioxide has been disposed of underground, in the very upper levels of the Kanowna Belle mine?
(10) If no to (9), why not?
(11) Can the Minister state exactly, -
(a) how many bulker bags containing arsenic trioxide;
(b) exactly how many tonnes of soil and arsenic trioxide mixture; and
(c) exactly how much arsenic trioxide itself in tones and kilogram’s, are/is disposed of underground in the very upper levels of the Kanowna Belle mine?
(12) If no to (11), why not?
(13) Is it correct that the arsenic trioxide that was disposed of underground in the Kanowna Belle Mine, was meant to be encapsulated as a brick, dry and set like concrete to ensure that, -
(a) the soil which the arsenic trioxide was mixed through and the arsenic trioxide itself could not dry out, and the arsenic then dispersed into the air as a powder, and therefore through the ventilation of the entire mine, causing all employees in that mine to inhale arsenic;
(b) should any water flow into the soil which the arsenic trioxide was mixed through, and then continue down through the mine, that that water would not be contaminated with arsenic and be absorbed through the skin of employees working in the mine that came in contact with the contaminated water; and
(c) the environment was not polluted?
(14) If no to (13), what specifically is correct concerning this matter?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
14 September 2010
Responded by
Minister for Environment
Response time
77 days
(1)(a)-(c) Questions regarding the impact of arsenic trioxide on humans should be referred to the Minister for Health.
(d) The Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC) has advised me that the risk of arsenic entering the environment in dangerous concentrations is removed once arsenic trioxide waste is encapsulated in the dolocrete and pastefilling processes, and human contact with it is controlled.
(e) See answer to question 1 (a)-(c).
(2) Not applicable.
(3) Yes.
(4) Not applicable.
(5)(a)-(e) No.
(6) Arsenic trioxide is mixed with dolocrete, not soil. I refer the Honourable Member to my answer to Question on Notice 2315 on 15 June 2010, in which I stated that treated arsenic trioxide is termed dolocrete encapsulated arsenic trioxide.
DEC has advised me that it has no knowledge of arsenic trioxide being mixed with water, or a setting agent like concrete. It is a condition of Kanowna Belle's licence that each block is completely cured. There is also a licence condition which requires that a sample is collected for every batch of dolocrete encapsulated arsenic trioxide waste.
Kanowna Belle must undertake one analysis for every five batches of dolocrete encapsulated arsenic trioxide waste, in accordance with the Australian Standard Leaching Procedure in AS4439.3-1997. The dolocrete encapsulated arsenic trioxide waste will be considered to be disposed of once the dolocrete blocks are encased in pastefill.
The blocks are currently not encased in pastefill, as the current underground storage area, designated for the arsenic trioxide, is a temporary storage area as the mining operations are still active. As such, the final stage of encapsulation has not yet occurred. A suitable long-term location in the mine will be decided as part of ongoing mine planning.
(7) No.
(8) The licence sets the level of arsenic in the leachate of less than seven milligrams per litre, in accordance with the Australian Standard Leaching Procedure. This is to ensure that the leachate is within acceptable limits to protect the environment.
Questions regarding the occupational health of the employees in the Kanowna Belle mine should be referred to the Minister for Mines and Petroleum.
(9) The Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC) has advised me that
in-mine storage of dolocrete encapsulated arsenic trioxide in bulker bags commenced in July 2003.
(10) Not applicable.
(11)(a) I refer the Honourable Member to my answer to Question on Notice 2304 on 15 June 2010.
(b) The arsenic trioxide is not mixed with soil.
(c) See the answer to (11)(a).
(12) Not applicable.
(13)(a)-(b) No.
(c) The arsenic trioxide is treated to create dolocrete encapsulated arsenic trioxide in the form of blocks to prevent contamination of the environment.
(14) Questions relating to occupational health and safety matters at the mine should be referred to the Minister for Mines and Petroleum.
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(d) The Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC) has advised me that the risk of arsenic entering the environment in dangerous concentrations is removed once arsenic trioxide waste is encapsulated in the dolocrete and pastefilling processes, and human contact with it is controlled.
(e) See answer to question 1 (a)-(c).
(2) Not applicable.
(3) Yes.
(4) Not applicable.
(5)(a)-(e) No.
(6) Arsenic trioxide is mixed with dolocrete, not soil. I refer the Honourable Member to my answer to Question on Notice 2315 on 15 June 2010, in which I stated that treated arsenic trioxide is termed dolocrete encapsulated arsenic trioxide.
DEC has advised me that it has no knowledge of arsenic trioxide being mixed with water, or a setting agent like concrete. It is a condition of Kanowna Belle's licence that each block is completely cured. There is also a licence condition which requires that a sample is collected for every batch of dolocrete encapsulated arsenic trioxide waste.
Kanowna Belle must undertake one analysis for every five batches of dolocrete encapsulated arsenic trioxide waste, in accordance with the Australian Standard Leaching Procedure in AS4439.3-1997. The dolocrete encapsulated arsenic trioxide waste will be considered to be disposed of once the dolocrete blocks are encased in pastefill.
The blocks are currently not encased in pastefill, as the current underground storage area, designated for the arsenic trioxide, is a temporary storage area as the mining operations are still active. As such, the final stage of encapsulation has not yet occurred. A suitable long-term location in the mine will be decided as part of ongoing mine planning.
(7) No.
(8) The licence sets the level of arsenic in the leachate of less than seven milligrams per litre, in accordance with the Australian Standard Leaching Procedure. This is to ensure that the leachate is within acceptable limits to protect the environment.
Questions regarding the occupational health of the employees in the Kanowna Belle mine should be referred to the Minister for Mines and Petroleum.
(9) The Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC) has advised me that
in-mine storage of dolocrete encapsulated arsenic trioxide in bulker bags commenced in July 2003.
(10) Not applicable.
(11)(a) I refer the Honourable Member to my answer to Question on Notice 2304 on 15 June 2010.
(b) The arsenic trioxide is not mixed with soil.
(c) See the answer to (11)(a).
(12) Not applicable.
(13)(a)-(b) No.
(c) The arsenic trioxide is treated to create dolocrete encapsulated arsenic trioxide in the form of blocks to prevent contamination of the environment.
(14) Questions relating to occupational health and safety matters at the mine should be referred to the Minister for Mines and Petroleum.
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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