❓ A WA parliamentary question on notice regarding the Minister for Environment's statements about a health risk assessment of the Alcoa Pinjarra alumina refinery and alleged discrepancies in findings and disclosure of a critical review. The Minister deferred answering.
AnsweredQoN 123Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
(1) Can the minister explain how she was able to publicly state recently that a health risk assessment of the Alcoa Pinjarra alumina refinery found exposure to airborne pollutants among residents near the refinery to be well within acceptable levels, when the study actually found that at one of the four sites examined, nearby residents’ level of exposure to cancer-causing emissions resulted in a cancer risk 56 per cent higher or 167 per cent higher than the acceptable level, depending on which dispersion model was used? (2) Can the minister also explain why she failed to qualify her remarks by disclosing that the University of Western Australia’s professor of public health, Phillip Weinstein, who was appointed to review the health risk study referred to, found it was flawed and in fact did not constitute a proper health risk assessment? (3) Will the Government ensure that an air pollution hazard surveillance system is put in place in Pinjarra, as suggested by Professor Weinstein, to protect the health of Pinjarra residents? Hon TOM STEPHENS
AnswerView source ↗
The Minister for the Environment has provided the following response. Providing the information in the time required is not possible and I request that the honourable member place the question on notice.
(2) Can the minister also explain why she failed to qualify her remarks by disclosing that the University of Western Australia’s professor of public health, Phillip Weinstein, who was appointed to review the health risk study referred to, found it was flawed and in fact did not constitute a proper health risk assessment? (3) Will the Government ensure that an air pollution hazard surveillance system is put in place in Pinjarra, as suggested by Professor Weinstein, to protect the health of Pinjarra residents? Hon TOM STEPHENS replied: The Minister for the Environment has provided the following response. Providing the information in the time required is not possible and I request that the honourable member place the question on notice.
(3) Will the Government ensure that an air pollution hazard surveillance system is put in place in Pinjarra, as suggested by Professor Weinstein, to protect the health of Pinjarra residents? Hon TOM STEPHENS replied: The Minister for the Environment has provided the following response. Providing the information in the time required is not possible and I request that the honourable member place the question on notice.
Hon TOM STEPHENS replied: The Minister for the Environment has provided the following response. Providing the information in the time required is not possible and I request that the honourable member place the question on notice.
The Minister for the Environment has provided the following response. Providing the information in the time required is not possible and I request that the honourable member place the question on notice.
(2) Can the minister also explain why she failed to qualify her remarks by disclosing that the University of Western Australia’s professor of public health, Phillip Weinstein, who was appointed to review the health risk study referred to, found it was flawed and in fact did not constitute a proper health risk assessment? (3) Will the Government ensure that an air pollution hazard surveillance system is put in place in Pinjarra, as suggested by Professor Weinstein, to protect the health of Pinjarra residents? Hon TOM STEPHENS replied: The Minister for the Environment has provided the following response. Providing the information in the time required is not possible and I request that the honourable member place the question on notice.
(3) Will the Government ensure that an air pollution hazard surveillance system is put in place in Pinjarra, as suggested by Professor Weinstein, to protect the health of Pinjarra residents? Hon TOM STEPHENS replied: The Minister for the Environment has provided the following response. Providing the information in the time required is not possible and I request that the honourable member place the question on notice.
Hon TOM STEPHENS replied: The Minister for the Environment has provided the following response. Providing the information in the time required is not possible and I request that the honourable member place the question on notice.
The Minister for the Environment has provided the following response. Providing the information in the time required is not possible and I request that the honourable member place the question on notice.
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