❓ A parliamentary question on notice regarding mercury emissions from the KCGM Gidgi Roaster and Fimiston operations, including quantities, origins, dispersion, and potential health impacts. The Minister provides some data from the NPI and modelling, but defers some questions to the Minister for Mines and Petroleum.
AnsweredQoN 2716Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
I refer to the Kalgoorlie Consolidated Gold Mines Pty Ltd (KCGM) operations, owned by Barrick Gold of Australia and Newmont Mining including the Gidgi Roaster, and I ask -
(1) Is it correct that the KCGM Gidgi roaster produces approximately seven tonnes of mercury per year from its operations?
(2) If no to (1), what specifically is correct in terms of the tonnage emitted per year?
(3) Can the Minister state where all the mercury originates from, that is emitted from the Gidgi roaster and Fimiston operations?
(4) If no to (3), why not?
(5) Can the Minister state how many tonnes of mercury have been produced by the Gidgi roaster and Fimiston operations, since the KCGM operations commenced since 1990?
(6) If no (5), why not?
(7) Can the Minister explain how the mercury is dispersed/emitted from the Fimiston and Gidgi roaster operations?
(8) If no to (7), why not?
(9) Can the Minister explain how is the mercury produced at the Gidgi Roaster Operations and Fimiston Operations?
(10) If no to (9), why not?
(11) Can the Minister state how the Gidgi Roaster and Fimiston Operations rank in terms of the top five producers, on a world scale of mercury emissions/ dispersion of this toxic waste?
(12) If no to (11), why not?
(13) Can the Minister explain, what happens when precipitation occurs and falls upon mercury emissions that are being carried through the air over the nearby city of Kalgoorlie- Boulder, or when it is breathed in and exposed to moisture from innocent bystanders or employees?
(14) If no to (13), why not?
(15) Can the Minister state what quantities if any are in the ore body of the Fimiston Super Pit Operations, which contribute to approximately seven tonnes of mercury being dispersed by the Gidgi roaster per year
(16) If no to (15), why not?
(17) Can the Minister explain what happens to the mercury that may exist in the Fimiston ore body during and after each and every blast conducted at the operations?
(18) If no to (17), why not?
(19) Can the Minister state whether or not the mercury located within the Fimiston Super Pit ore body, is limited to certain sections within the Fimiston open pit operations, or generally through most of the ore body?
(20) If no to (19), why not?
(21) Can the Minister table a Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC) or KCGM map, indicating the approximate location/concentration level and depth below the surface in metres of the mercury throughout the entirety of the Fimiston ore body that is being mined, and proposed to be mined at the KCGM Super Pit operations?
(22) If no to (21), why not?
(1) Is it correct that the KCGM Gidgi roaster produces approximately seven tonnes of mercury per year from its operations?
(2) If no to (1), what specifically is correct in terms of the tonnage emitted per year?
(3) Can the Minister state where all the mercury originates from, that is emitted from the Gidgi roaster and Fimiston operations?
(4) If no to (3), why not?
(5) Can the Minister state how many tonnes of mercury have been produced by the Gidgi roaster and Fimiston operations, since the KCGM operations commenced since 1990?
(6) If no (5), why not?
(7) Can the Minister explain how the mercury is dispersed/emitted from the Fimiston and Gidgi roaster operations?
(8) If no to (7), why not?
(9) Can the Minister explain how is the mercury produced at the Gidgi Roaster Operations and Fimiston Operations?
(10) If no to (9), why not?
(11) Can the Minister state how the Gidgi Roaster and Fimiston Operations rank in terms of the top five producers, on a world scale of mercury emissions/ dispersion of this toxic waste?
(12) If no to (11), why not?
(13) Can the Minister explain, what happens when precipitation occurs and falls upon mercury emissions that are being carried through the air over the nearby city of Kalgoorlie- Boulder, or when it is breathed in and exposed to moisture from innocent bystanders or employees?
(14) If no to (13), why not?
(15) Can the Minister state what quantities if any are in the ore body of the Fimiston Super Pit Operations, which contribute to approximately seven tonnes of mercury being dispersed by the Gidgi roaster per year
(16) If no to (15), why not?
(17) Can the Minister explain what happens to the mercury that may exist in the Fimiston ore body during and after each and every blast conducted at the operations?
(18) If no to (17), why not?
(19) Can the Minister state whether or not the mercury located within the Fimiston Super Pit ore body, is limited to certain sections within the Fimiston open pit operations, or generally through most of the ore body?
(20) If no to (19), why not?
(21) Can the Minister table a Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC) or KCGM map, indicating the approximate location/concentration level and depth below the surface in metres of the mercury throughout the entirety of the Fimiston ore body that is being mined, and proposed to be mined at the KCGM Super Pit operations?
(22) If no to (21), why not?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
12 October 2010
Responded by
Minister for Environment
Response time
35 days
(1 - 2) Kalgoorlie Consolidated Gold Mines Pty Ltd (KCGM) has reported via the National Pollution Inventory (NPI) that 7 tonnes of mercury were released through the Gidji Roaster in the 2008 calendar year. Mercury emissions were reported as 6.5 tonnes in 2005/06, 5.6 tonnes in 2006/07 and 5.7 tonnes in the 2007 calendar year. The reporting period changed from a financial year to a calendar year basis in 2007.
(3 - 4) I have been advised that the mercury emitted from the Gidji Roaster is understood to be a result of mercury present in the gold bearing ore from KCGM's Superpit/ Fimiston ore body.
(5 - 6) Mercury emissions have been variable from year to year as reported to the NPI. The NPI reporting has only included mercury emissions for the Gidji Roaster from 2004/05 and for the Fimiston operations from 2000/01.
(7 - 10) Mercury is present in the gold bearing ore that is treated in the Gidji Roaster and Fimiston Mill. It is emitted as a waste during processing of the ore, with some exiting via the Fimiston I and II tailings dams.
Mercury is also emitted as a waste gas from the Gidji Roaster as the mercury is released as part of the process of removing the sulfides hindering extraction of the gold from the concentrated ore. It is emitted as a waste gas from Fimiston Mill during the regeneration of carbon used in the recovery of gold.(11 - 12) The Gidji Roaster is the largest single emissions point for mercury when compared to Canada, the USA, Europe(ie. European Union, Liechtenstein, Norway and Iceland), Japan or Mexico, according to data that are readily available to the Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC). The Fimiston operations are not in the top five producers in Australia.
(13 - 14) The emissions from the Gidji Roaster and the Fimiston Mill were modelled by KCGM's consultants in 2005. Using a high estimate of mercury emission of 96kg/day (equivalent to 35 tonnes per year), the annual average mercury concentration at the northern boundary of Kalgoorlietownsite was calculated to be 0.001 micrograms per cubic metre.
For the Fimiston Mill, using an emission of 600 kilograms per year compared to less than 300 kilograms per year currently, the modelled annual averaged ground level concentration on the eastern edge of Kalgoorlie townsite was 0.016 micrograms per cubic metre.
These modelled results are well under the World Health Organisation (WHO) limit of 1 microgram per cubic metre for the annual limit. The Department of Health has previously confirmed that the WHO limit is the most applicable standard for comparison.
(15 - 16) Information on the amount of mercury in the ore yet to be mined by the KCGM operations is not available to DEC.
(17 - 22) These questions should be referred to the Minister for Mines and Petroleum.
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(3 - 4) I have been advised that the mercury emitted from the Gidji Roaster is understood to be a result of mercury present in the gold bearing ore from KCGM's Superpit/ Fimiston ore body.
(5 - 6) Mercury emissions have been variable from year to year as reported to the NPI. The NPI reporting has only included mercury emissions for the Gidji Roaster from 2004/05 and for the Fimiston operations from 2000/01.
(7 - 10) Mercury is present in the gold bearing ore that is treated in the Gidji Roaster and Fimiston Mill. It is emitted as a waste during processing of the ore, with some exiting via the Fimiston I and II tailings dams.
Mercury is also emitted as a waste gas from the Gidji Roaster as the mercury is released as part of the process of removing the sulfides hindering extraction of the gold from the concentrated ore. It is emitted as a waste gas from Fimiston Mill during the regeneration of carbon used in the recovery of gold.(11 - 12) The Gidji Roaster is the largest single emissions point for mercury when compared to Canada, the USA, Europe(ie. European Union, Liechtenstein, Norway and Iceland), Japan or Mexico, according to data that are readily available to the Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC). The Fimiston operations are not in the top five producers in Australia.
(13 - 14) The emissions from the Gidji Roaster and the Fimiston Mill were modelled by KCGM's consultants in 2005. Using a high estimate of mercury emission of 96kg/day (equivalent to 35 tonnes per year), the annual average mercury concentration at the northern boundary of Kalgoorlietownsite was calculated to be 0.001 micrograms per cubic metre.
For the Fimiston Mill, using an emission of 600 kilograms per year compared to less than 300 kilograms per year currently, the modelled annual averaged ground level concentration on the eastern edge of Kalgoorlie townsite was 0.016 micrograms per cubic metre.
These modelled results are well under the World Health Organisation (WHO) limit of 1 microgram per cubic metre for the annual limit. The Department of Health has previously confirmed that the WHO limit is the most applicable standard for comparison.
(15 - 16) Information on the amount of mercury in the ore yet to be mined by the KCGM operations is not available to DEC.
(17 - 22) These questions 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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