❓ A parliamentary question regarding the Mt Weld Rare Earth Operation's radioactive material management, specifically concerning monitoring data, tailings radioactivity, and concentrate transport regulations. The Minister provides some answers and redirects part of the question.
AnsweredQoN 6821Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
With regard to the prescribed premises licence conditions of the Mt Weld Rare Earth Operation Concentrator Plant- licence no. L8141/2007/2 I ask;
(a) will the Minister table the monitoring data, including laboratory certificates, for bores LMW1 through to LMW 9 which are required to be analysed quarterly and, if not, why not;
(b) can the Minister confirm that the radioactivity of the tailings from the concentrator plant exceeds the threshold for the tailings to be classified non-radioactive;
(c) can the Minister confirm that the specific radioactivity of the concentrate is between 3 and 8 times higher than that of the tailings; and
(d) can the Minister explain why the tailings are deemed radioactive while the concentrate will be transported through Western Australia without labelling or precautions normally associated with radioactive materials?
(a) will the Minister table the monitoring data, including laboratory certificates, for bores LMW1 through to LMW 9 which are required to be analysed quarterly and, if not, why not;
(b) can the Minister confirm that the radioactivity of the tailings from the concentrator plant exceeds the threshold for the tailings to be classified non-radioactive;
(c) can the Minister confirm that the specific radioactivity of the concentrate is between 3 and 8 times higher than that of the tailings; and
(d) can the Minister explain why the tailings are deemed radioactive while the concentrate will be transported through Western Australia without labelling or precautions normally associated with radioactive materials?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
20 February 2012
Responded by
Minister for Environment
Response time
88 days
(a) No. I have been advised by the Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC) that under its licence conditions, Lynas Corporation Limited is not required to submit quarterly monitoring data for LMW1 to LMW9 for its Mt Weld Rare Earth Operation Concentration Plant until 31 March 2012.
(b) - (c) Yes. DEC received a courtesy copy of Lynas' radiation management plan, as required by and submitted to the Department of Mines and Petroleum (DMP) which states that the specific activity of thorium-232 in tailings is 1.8 becquerels per gram (Bq/g). This exceeds the reference limit of 1.0 Bq/g for non-radioactive material set in the DMP guidance documents.
The radiation management plan also indicated that thorium oxide levels in the concentrate are 3.4 times greater than in the tailings.
(d) The labelling and transport of radioactive material is regulated in Western Australia by the Radiological Council and DMP. This question should be referred to the Ministers for Health and Mines and Petroleum.
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(b) - (c) Yes. DEC received a courtesy copy of Lynas' radiation management plan, as required by and submitted to the Department of Mines and Petroleum (DMP) which states that the specific activity of thorium-232 in tailings is 1.8 becquerels per gram (Bq/g). This exceeds the reference limit of 1.0 Bq/g for non-radioactive material set in the DMP guidance documents.
The radiation management plan also indicated that thorium oxide levels in the concentrate are 3.4 times greater than in the tailings.
(d) The labelling and transport of radioactive material is regulated in Western Australia by the Radiological Council and DMP. This question should be referred to the Ministers for Health and 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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