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❓ Hon Jim Scott questions conflicting figures in the State of Cockburn Sound report regarding nitrogen discharge from WMC's Nickel Refinery. The answer clarifies that the 8 tonnes is the total from two separate aquifers.

AnsweredQoN 148Legislative Council

Asked

1 August 2001

Member

Hon Jim Scott

Portfolio

the Environment and Heritage

QuestionView source ↗

In the recently released State of Cockburn Sound report page vi notes that WMC’s Nickel Refinery discharges 8 tonnes/annum of nitrogen into Cockburn Sound via groundwater. Table 3.1 on page 70, and the subsequent erratum to Table 3.1, indicate that the figure is 4 tonnes/annum of nitrogen being discharged via groundwater from WMC’s Nickel Refinery.
Which figure is correct and what is the reason for the two conflicting amounts?

AnswerView source ↗

Answered

28 August 2001

Responded by

Minister for Housing and Works representing the Minister for the Environment and Heritage

Response time

27 days

Table 3.1 on page 70, and the subsequent erratum to Table 3.1, show that the 8 tonnes is discharged into the Sound via two separate groundwater aquifers. Four tonnes comes from the upper sandy soils (the Safety Bay Sands aquifer) and a further 4 tonnes discharges from the limestone layer further below (the Tamala Limestone aquifer), giving a total of 8 tonnes.
Four tonnes comes from the upper sandy soils (the Safety Bay Sands aquifer) and a further 4 tonnes discharges from the limestone layer further below (the Tamala Limestone aquifer), giving a total of 8 tonnes.

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