❓ A parliamentary question regarding air pollution near the Wagerup Refinery, specifically addressing air monitoring practices and the operation of the liquor burner. The Minister provides details on current and past monitoring efforts.
AnsweredQoN 99Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
(1) Is the Minister aware that residents nearby to the Wagerup Refinery suffer severe air pollution between the months of February and June?
(2) Is the Department of Environmental Protection currently conducting air monitoring of the Alcoa Wagerup Refinery?
(3) If yes, between what dates is the air monitoring to be conducted?
(4) Will the liquor burner be in operation during the full period of air monitoring?
(5) Has the Department of Environmental Protection conducted air monitoring in the past?
(6) If yes, in which years and for each year between which months?
(7) Was the liquor burner in operation during the full period of this air monitoring?
(2) Is the Department of Environmental Protection currently conducting air monitoring of the Alcoa Wagerup Refinery?
(3) If yes, between what dates is the air monitoring to be conducted?
(4) Will the liquor burner be in operation during the full period of air monitoring?
(5) Has the Department of Environmental Protection conducted air monitoring in the past?
(6) If yes, in which years and for each year between which months?
(7) Was the liquor burner in operation during the full period of this air monitoring?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
31 July 2001
Responded by
Minister for Housing representing the Minister for the Environment and Heritage
Response time
35 days
(2) Yes. Ambient air quality monitoring is currently being undertaken by the Chemistry Centre of Western Australia under a program developed by the Department of Environmental Protection, in consultation with the Wagerup Working Group, which includes two community representatives. (3) The current program of air quality monitoring commenced on 13 June 2001 and the first sampling period concluded on 25 June 2001. The second phase of sampling started on 25 June and is still running. The conclusion of this sampling period has not been set as it depends on the number of sampling hours achieved. (4) This cannot be predicted. However, during the first sampling period in June 2001, the liquor burner was off. Complaints regarding air quality were still received during this time. This sampling period ceased on 25 June specifically to gain data about air quality whilst the liquor burner component of refinery emissions was off. The present sampling period is anticipated to capture air quality data with the liquor burner on. If the liquor burner is off for a significant period during this monitoring phase, additional sampling will be undertaken to ensure that adequate data is available with the liquor burner on. (5) Yes (6) Air quality monitoring was undertaken in: 1999 July to August 2000 July to August, August to September and September to November (7) This is unknown without a large amount of research, as sampling times was often intermittent, being activated by residents only when they experienced an odour event.
(3) The current program of air quality monitoring commenced on 13 June 2001 and the first sampling period concluded on 25 June 2001. The second phase of sampling started on 25 June and is still running. The conclusion of this sampling period has not been set as it depends on the number of sampling hours achieved. (4) This cannot be predicted. However, during the first sampling period in June 2001, the liquor burner was off. Complaints regarding air quality were still received during this time. This sampling period ceased on 25 June specifically to gain data about air quality whilst the liquor burner component of refinery emissions was off. The present sampling period is anticipated to capture air quality data with the liquor burner on. If the liquor burner is off for a significant period during this monitoring phase, additional sampling will be undertaken to ensure that adequate data is available with the liquor burner on. (5) Yes (6) Air quality monitoring was undertaken in: 1999 July to August 2000 July to August, August to September and September to November (7) This is unknown without a large amount of research, as sampling times was often intermittent, being activated by residents only when they experienced an odour event.
(4) This cannot be predicted. However, during the first sampling period in June 2001, the liquor burner was off. Complaints regarding air quality were still received during this time. This sampling period ceased on 25 June specifically to gain data about air quality whilst the liquor burner component of refinery emissions was off. The present sampling period is anticipated to capture air quality data with the liquor burner on. If the liquor burner is off for a significant period during this monitoring phase, additional sampling will be undertaken to ensure that adequate data is available with the liquor burner on. (5) Yes (6) Air quality monitoring was undertaken in: 1999 July to August 2000 July to August, August to September and September to November (7) This is unknown without a large amount of research, as sampling times was often intermittent, being activated by residents only when they experienced an odour event.
(5) Yes (6) Air quality monitoring was undertaken in: 1999 July to August 2000 July to August, August to September and September to November (7) This is unknown without a large amount of research, as sampling times was often intermittent, being activated by residents only when they experienced an odour event.
(6) Air quality monitoring was undertaken in: 1999 July to August 2000 July to August, August to September and September to November (7) This is unknown without a large amount of research, as sampling times was often intermittent, being activated by residents only when they experienced an odour event.
(3) The current program of air quality monitoring commenced on 13 June 2001 and the first sampling period concluded on 25 June 2001. The second phase of sampling started on 25 June and is still running. The conclusion of this sampling period has not been set as it depends on the number of sampling hours achieved. (4) This cannot be predicted. However, during the first sampling period in June 2001, the liquor burner was off. Complaints regarding air quality were still received during this time. This sampling period ceased on 25 June specifically to gain data about air quality whilst the liquor burner component of refinery emissions was off. The present sampling period is anticipated to capture air quality data with the liquor burner on. If the liquor burner is off for a significant period during this monitoring phase, additional sampling will be undertaken to ensure that adequate data is available with the liquor burner on. (5) Yes (6) Air quality monitoring was undertaken in: 1999 July to August 2000 July to August, August to September and September to November (7) This is unknown without a large amount of research, as sampling times was often intermittent, being activated by residents only when they experienced an odour event.
(4) This cannot be predicted. However, during the first sampling period in June 2001, the liquor burner was off. Complaints regarding air quality were still received during this time. This sampling period ceased on 25 June specifically to gain data about air quality whilst the liquor burner component of refinery emissions was off. The present sampling period is anticipated to capture air quality data with the liquor burner on. If the liquor burner is off for a significant period during this monitoring phase, additional sampling will be undertaken to ensure that adequate data is available with the liquor burner on. (5) Yes (6) Air quality monitoring was undertaken in: 1999 July to August 2000 July to August, August to September and September to November (7) This is unknown without a large amount of research, as sampling times was often intermittent, being activated by residents only when they experienced an odour event.
(5) Yes (6) Air quality monitoring was undertaken in: 1999 July to August 2000 July to August, August to September and September to November (7) This is unknown without a large amount of research, as sampling times was often intermittent, being activated by residents only when they experienced an odour event.
(6) Air quality monitoring was undertaken in: 1999 July to August 2000 July to August, August to September and September to November (7) This is unknown without a large amount of research, as sampling times was often intermittent, being activated by residents only when they experienced an odour event.
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