❓ Hon Robin Chapple asks a detailed question regarding the disposal of arsenic trioxide at the Barrick Kanowna Belle mine, focusing on safety procedures, quantities, and potential risks to worker health and the environment. The Minister declined to answer, referring to a previous question.
AnsweredQoN 2540Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
I refer to the Barrick Kanowna Belle operations, analysis results of tests conducted on soil/mud and water samples for arsenic conducted by MPL Laboratories dated 5 May 2010, and a letter from Evan Spencer, General Mine Manager for Barrick Kanowna dated 9 June 2010, which are available for viewing at,
http://robinchapple.org.au/node/460
entitled 2010-05-05 Kanowna Belle Arsenic Trioxide Results.pdf and 2010-06-09 Kanowna Belle Arsenic Letter Evan Spencer.pdf, and ask -
(1) Is it correct that the arsenic contained in arsenic trioxide, -
(a) can be up to 500 times stronger than arsenic itself;
(b) is very toxic;
(c) is a known carcinogen;
(d) is dangerous to the environment; and
(e) enters easily into human beings through ingestion, inhalation and absorption?
(2) If no to (1), what specifically is correct concerning this matter?
(3) Is it correct that arsenic is in fact contained in the ore body in the Kanowna Belle Mine, and that arsenic trioxide is one of the hazardous by products of the processing of the ore from this mine at the Kanowna Belle Mill, and that it is disposed of underground in the very upper levels of this mine?
(4) If no to (3), what specifically is correct concerning this matter?
(5) Is it correct that the procedure for disposing of arsenic trioxide underground in the Kanowna Belle Mine is as follows, -
(a) the arsenic trioxide is mixed with soil do dilute it;
(b) the mixture of arsenic trioxide and soil is also mixed with water a setting agent like concrete and placed into a bulker bag;
(c) this mixture is then allowed to dry completely and set thoroughly to encapsulate the arsenic trioxide in a brick;
(d) each and every one of the arsenic trioxide bricks, when it has dried and set thoroughly is drilled to the centre to ensure that it had both dried and set like concrete; and
(e) each brick was disposed of in a suitable area of the mine where it was to be encapsulated again in shotcrete?
(6) If no to (5), what specifically is correct concerning this matter?
(7) Is it correct that the procedure referred to in (5), was to ensure that the arsenic could not, in any way, be released into the mine where the employees still work continually so that the occupational health of the employees working in the mine was assured?
(8) If no to (7), what specifically is correct concerning this matter?
(9) Can the Minister state exactly how long in weeks, months and years that arsenic trioxide has been disposed of underground in the very upper levels of the Kanowna Belle mine?
(10) If no to (9), why not?
(11) Can the Minister state exactly, -
(a) how many bulker bags containing arsenic trioxide;
(b) exactly how many tonnes of soil and arsenic trioxide mixture; and
(c) exactly how much arsenic trioxide itself in tones and kilogram’s, are/is disposed of underground in the very upper levels of the Kanowna Belle Mine?
(12) If no to (11), why not?
(13) Is it correct that the arsenic trioxide that was disposed of underground in the Kanowna Belle Mine was meant to be encapsulated as a brick, dry and set like concrete to ensure that, -
(a) the soil which the arsenic trioxide was mixed through and the arsenic trioxide itself could not dry out and the arsenic then disperse into the air as a powder, and therefore through the ventilation of the entire mine, causing all employees in that mine to inhale arsenic;
(b) should any water flow into the soil which the arsenic trioxide was mixed through, and then continue down through the mine, that that water would not be contaminated with arsenic and be absorbed through the skin of employees working in the mine that came in contact with the contaminated water; and
(c) the environment was not polluted?
(14) If no to (13), what specifically is correct concerning this matter?
http://robinchapple.org.au/node/460
entitled 2010-05-05 Kanowna Belle Arsenic Trioxide Results.pdf and 2010-06-09 Kanowna Belle Arsenic Letter Evan Spencer.pdf, and ask -
(1) Is it correct that the arsenic contained in arsenic trioxide, -
(a) can be up to 500 times stronger than arsenic itself;
(b) is very toxic;
(c) is a known carcinogen;
(d) is dangerous to the environment; and
(e) enters easily into human beings through ingestion, inhalation and absorption?
(2) If no to (1), what specifically is correct concerning this matter?
(3) Is it correct that arsenic is in fact contained in the ore body in the Kanowna Belle Mine, and that arsenic trioxide is one of the hazardous by products of the processing of the ore from this mine at the Kanowna Belle Mill, and that it is disposed of underground in the very upper levels of this mine?
(4) If no to (3), what specifically is correct concerning this matter?
(5) Is it correct that the procedure for disposing of arsenic trioxide underground in the Kanowna Belle Mine is as follows, -
(a) the arsenic trioxide is mixed with soil do dilute it;
(b) the mixture of arsenic trioxide and soil is also mixed with water a setting agent like concrete and placed into a bulker bag;
(c) this mixture is then allowed to dry completely and set thoroughly to encapsulate the arsenic trioxide in a brick;
(d) each and every one of the arsenic trioxide bricks, when it has dried and set thoroughly is drilled to the centre to ensure that it had both dried and set like concrete; and
(e) each brick was disposed of in a suitable area of the mine where it was to be encapsulated again in shotcrete?
(6) If no to (5), what specifically is correct concerning this matter?
(7) Is it correct that the procedure referred to in (5), was to ensure that the arsenic could not, in any way, be released into the mine where the employees still work continually so that the occupational health of the employees working in the mine was assured?
(8) If no to (7), what specifically is correct concerning this matter?
(9) Can the Minister state exactly how long in weeks, months and years that arsenic trioxide has been disposed of underground in the very upper levels of the Kanowna Belle mine?
(10) If no to (9), why not?
(11) Can the Minister state exactly, -
(a) how many bulker bags containing arsenic trioxide;
(b) exactly how many tonnes of soil and arsenic trioxide mixture; and
(c) exactly how much arsenic trioxide itself in tones and kilogram’s, are/is disposed of underground in the very upper levels of the Kanowna Belle Mine?
(12) If no to (11), why not?
(13) Is it correct that the arsenic trioxide that was disposed of underground in the Kanowna Belle Mine was meant to be encapsulated as a brick, dry and set like concrete to ensure that, -
(a) the soil which the arsenic trioxide was mixed through and the arsenic trioxide itself could not dry out and the arsenic then disperse into the air as a powder, and therefore through the ventilation of the entire mine, causing all employees in that mine to inhale arsenic;
(b) should any water flow into the soil which the arsenic trioxide was mixed through, and then continue down through the mine, that that water would not be contaminated with arsenic and be absorbed through the skin of employees working in the mine that came in contact with the contaminated water; and
(c) the environment was not polluted?
(14) If no to (13), what specifically is correct concerning this matter?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
10 August 2010
Responded by
Minister for Mines and Petroleum
Response time
42 days
Please refer to parliamentary question 2516.
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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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