❓ Hon Robin Chapple questions the Minister for Mines and Petroleum regarding compliance and monitoring of the Wiluna uranium mine, specifically concerning reporting, radiation seepage, and mine closure plans. The Minister's response reveals non-compliance issues which are being addressed.
AnsweredQoN 2836Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
I refer to question without notice 115, asked on 19 February 2020, and the answers supplied, regarding the Wiluna uranium mine, and I ask: (a) would the Minister please table: (i) any monitoring and compliance reports from Toro Energy, over the last 18 months, regarding the 'resource evaluation pit'; (ii) any reports, relating to (a)(i), from the Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety; (iii) any reports from the proponent, or Department, in relation to the recent flooding in Wiluna; and (iv) if no to (i)-(iii), why not; (b) given that conditions for the tenement focus on surface-level radiation, is there currently any testing for the seepage of the contents of 'resource evaluation pit', into Lake Way: (i) if no to (b), does the Department intend to do so; and (ii) if yes to (b)(i), can the Minister advise when this is expected to occur; (c) can the Minister confirm that tenement 53/244, the site of the Wiluna project test pit, carries a condition by which the proponent must report not less than annually to the Department: (i) if yes to (c), can the Minister please table the reports from 2019; and (d) can the Minister confirm that tenement 53/244, the site of the Wiluna project test pit, carries a condition by which the proponent must submit a Mine Closure Plan (MCP) in 2019: (i) if yes to (d), did the Department receive a MCP in relation to the Wiluna site; (ii) if yes to (d)(i), would the Minister please table the MCP; (iii) if no to (d)(i), does the Minister consider this a breach of conditions by the proponent; and (iv) if yes to (d)(iii), how does the Minister intend to redress the matter?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
16 April 2020
Responded by
Minister for Regional Development representing the Minister for Mines and Petroleum
Response time
9 days
(a)
(i) No
(ii) No
(iii) The Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety has not received or published any report specifically in relation to the recent flooding in Wiluna.
(iv) In the time available to conduct an historical search for documents, no reports have been identified.
(b) No
(i) No
(ii) Not applicable
(c) The tenement number quoted is erroneous as M53/244 is a dead tenement. The test pit occurs on M53/224 and this tenement has a condition requiring submission of an annual report in March each year.
(i) No. The report has not been submitted as required by tenement conditions. This matter is being followed up by the Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety to ensure the report is provided and appropriate compliance action is taken.
(d) As per answer (c), the test pit occurs on M53/224. There is a condition on M53/224 requiring a mine closure plan to be submitted in March 2019.
(i) No, an updated mine closure plan has not been submitted in accordance with this condition.
(ii) Not applicable
(iii) Yes
(iv) This matter is being pursued by the Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety to ensure the mine closure plan is provided and any appropriate compliance action is taken.
(i) No
(ii) No
(iii) The Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety has not received or published any report specifically in relation to the recent flooding in Wiluna.
(iv) In the time available to conduct an historical search for documents, no reports have been identified.
(b) No
(i) No
(ii) Not applicable
(c) The tenement number quoted is erroneous as M53/244 is a dead tenement. The test pit occurs on M53/224 and this tenement has a condition requiring submission of an annual report in March each year.
(i) No. The report has not been submitted as required by tenement conditions. This matter is being followed up by the Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety to ensure the report is provided and appropriate compliance action is taken.
(d) As per answer (c), the test pit occurs on M53/224. There is a condition on M53/224 requiring a mine closure plan to be submitted in March 2019.
(i) No, an updated mine closure plan has not been submitted in accordance with this condition.
(ii) Not applicable
(iii) Yes
(iv) This matter is being pursued by the Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety to ensure the mine closure plan is provided and any appropriate compliance action is taken.
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