❓ A WA parliamentary question addresses black shale gas release at Rio Tinto's Tom Price mine, inquiring about regularity, composition, risk assessment, management, and departmental investigation. The Minister provides details on the affected area, gas composition, company procedures, and regulatory actions taken.
AnsweredQoN 1449Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
MINING — GAS EXPOSURE
— TOM PRICE
1449. Hon ROBIN CHAPPLE to the minister representing the
Minister for Mines and Petroleum:
I refer to the release of black
shale gas at Rio Tinto's iron ore mining facility in Tom Price last
month.
(1) Is there an area of the
facility that is releasing black shale gas with any regularity?
(2) What is the chemical make-up of
black shale gas?
(3) What is the risk assessment of
further exposure of workers to black shale gas?
(4) What risk management is
occurring to prevent further exposure of workers to black shale gas?
(5) Has the department visited the
facility to investigate the cause of the emissions?
(6) If no to (5), why not?
— TOM PRICE
1449. Hon ROBIN CHAPPLE to the minister representing the
Minister for Mines and Petroleum:
I refer to the release of black
shale gas at Rio Tinto's iron ore mining facility in Tom Price last
month.
(1) Is there an area of the
facility that is releasing black shale gas with any regularity?
(2) What is the chemical make-up of
black shale gas?
(3) What is the risk assessment of
further exposure of workers to black shale gas?
(4) What risk management is
occurring to prevent further exposure of workers to black shale gas?
(5) Has the department visited the
facility to investigate the cause of the emissions?
(6) If no to (5), why not?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for the
question. The following information has been provided by the Minister for Mines
and Petroleum.
(1) Yes. The mining area where the
exposure to black shale gas occurs is known as pit STR3.
(2) The gases
emitted from black shale areas arise from spontaneous combustion of
carbonaceous materials that includes sulphur dioxide, hydrogen sulphide, carbon
monoxide, methane and carbon dioxide.
(3) The company
has a current standard work procedure that was developed in consultation with
employees for working in reactive black shale areas of the operation.
(4) The company has
advised the Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety that the
following controls have been implemented to protect employees working in pit
STR3: a standard work procedure for working
in reactive black shale areas; employee updates informing all crews on return
to work the status of mining operations in pit STR3 and the changes to
work practices; the use of personal and fixed-position gas monitors to monitor
the work environment and provide early detection of gases; additional
assessment of the gases in the pit area to improve the understanding of the
long-term management of atmospheric gases; and additional access controls to
the area.
(5) The
department has not visited the site to investigate the cause of the emissions;
however, it has issued an improvement notice
in relation to the monitoring of toxic atmospheric gas and response, and a prohibition notice in relation to personnel being exposed to toxic gas in pit STR3. The
department is continuing to work with the site to investigate the matter.
(6) An inspection
of the affected facility was scheduled for 21 November 2019; however, the
inspectors assigned to conduct the
inspection were diverted to investigate another incident. The inspection of the
mine will be rescheduled.
question. The following information has been provided by the Minister for Mines
and Petroleum.
(1) Yes. The mining area where the
exposure to black shale gas occurs is known as pit STR3.
(2) The gases
emitted from black shale areas arise from spontaneous combustion of
carbonaceous materials that includes sulphur dioxide, hydrogen sulphide, carbon
monoxide, methane and carbon dioxide.
(3) The company
has a current standard work procedure that was developed in consultation with
employees for working in reactive black shale areas of the operation.
(4) The company has
advised the Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety that the
following controls have been implemented to protect employees working in pit
STR3: a standard work procedure for working
in reactive black shale areas; employee updates informing all crews on return
to work the status of mining operations in pit STR3 and the changes to
work practices; the use of personal and fixed-position gas monitors to monitor
the work environment and provide early detection of gases; additional
assessment of the gases in the pit area to improve the understanding of the
long-term management of atmospheric gases; and additional access controls to
the area.
(5) The
department has not visited the site to investigate the cause of the emissions;
however, it has issued an improvement notice
in relation to the monitoring of toxic atmospheric gas and response, and a prohibition notice in relation to personnel being exposed to toxic gas in pit STR3. The
department is continuing to work with the site to investigate the matter.
(6) An inspection
of the affected facility was scheduled for 21 November 2019; however, the
inspectors assigned to conduct the
inspection were diverted to investigate another incident. The inspection of the
mine will be rescheduled.
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