❓ The WA government supported the release of a draft national environment protection measure for air toxics and the inclusion of PM 2.5s in the air quality national environment protection measure. WA is already monitoring PM 2.5s in Perth and Bunbury.
AnsweredQoN 767Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
What action did the recent meeting of the Environment Protection and Heritage Council take on air quality issues and what was Western Australia’s position on these matters? Dr J.M. EDWARDS
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for the question. At the recent Environment Protection and Heritage Council meeting, which is the meeting of all environment ministers from around Australia, we made some very important air quality decisions. The first decision was to release a draft national environment protection measure for air toxics. There has been considerable interest in air toxics for some time, and I am delighted that, although there was some dissension, Western Australia supported this move. The draft has now been released for two months of public comment, and I urge anyone who is interested to take the opportunity to comment on this draft measure. Air toxics relates to the emission of toxics such as benzene, formaldehyde, toluene and xylenes. The second decision was to include in the air quality national environment protection measure very small particles or PM 2.5s. Under the former Minister for the Environment this Parliament had a Select Committee on Air Quality, and that committee raised the issue of PM 2.5s, so it is pleasing to see this new inclusion in the network. In Western Australia we are already monitoring PM 2.5s in Perth and Bunbury, so we are somewhat ahead of some of the other States in doing that monitoring, but as a result of signing up to this document there will be increased monitoring in this area.
Dr J.M. EDWARDS replied: I thank the member for the question. At the recent Environment Protection and Heritage Council meeting, which is the meeting of all environment ministers from around Australia, we made some very important air quality decisions. The first decision was to release a draft national environment protection measure for air toxics. There has been considerable interest in air toxics for some time, and I am delighted that, although there was some dissension, Western Australia supported this move. The draft has now been released for two months of public comment, and I urge anyone who is interested to take the opportunity to comment on this draft measure. Air toxics relates to the emission of toxics such as benzene, formaldehyde, toluene and xylenes. The second decision was to include in the air quality national environment protection measure very small particles or PM 2.5s. Under the former Minister for the Environment this Parliament had a Select Committee on Air Quality, and that committee raised the issue of PM 2.5s, so it is pleasing to see this new inclusion in the network. In Western Australia we are already monitoring PM 2.5s in Perth and Bunbury, so we are somewhat ahead of some of the other States in doing that monitoring, but as a result of signing up to this document there will be increased monitoring in this area.
I thank the member for the question. At the recent Environment Protection and Heritage Council meeting, which is the meeting of all environment ministers from around Australia, we made some very important air quality decisions. The first decision was to release a draft national environment protection measure for air toxics. There has been considerable interest in air toxics for some time, and I am delighted that, although there was some dissension, Western Australia supported this move. The draft has now been released for two months of public comment, and I urge anyone who is interested to take the opportunity to comment on this draft measure. Air toxics relates to the emission of toxics such as benzene, formaldehyde, toluene and xylenes. The second decision was to include in the air quality national environment protection measure very small particles or PM 2.5s. Under the former Minister for the Environment this Parliament had a Select Committee on Air Quality, and that committee raised the issue of PM 2.5s, so it is pleasing to see this new inclusion in the network. In Western Australia we are already monitoring PM 2.5s in Perth and Bunbury, so we are somewhat ahead of some of the other States in doing that monitoring, but as a result of signing up to this document there will be increased monitoring in this area.
Dr J.M. EDWARDS replied: I thank the member for the question. At the recent Environment Protection and Heritage Council meeting, which is the meeting of all environment ministers from around Australia, we made some very important air quality decisions. The first decision was to release a draft national environment protection measure for air toxics. There has been considerable interest in air toxics for some time, and I am delighted that, although there was some dissension, Western Australia supported this move. The draft has now been released for two months of public comment, and I urge anyone who is interested to take the opportunity to comment on this draft measure. Air toxics relates to the emission of toxics such as benzene, formaldehyde, toluene and xylenes. The second decision was to include in the air quality national environment protection measure very small particles or PM 2.5s. Under the former Minister for the Environment this Parliament had a Select Committee on Air Quality, and that committee raised the issue of PM 2.5s, so it is pleasing to see this new inclusion in the network. In Western Australia we are already monitoring PM 2.5s in Perth and Bunbury, so we are somewhat ahead of some of the other States in doing that monitoring, but as a result of signing up to this document there will be increased monitoring in this area.
I thank the member for the question. At the recent Environment Protection and Heritage Council meeting, which is the meeting of all environment ministers from around Australia, we made some very important air quality decisions. The first decision was to release a draft national environment protection measure for air toxics. There has been considerable interest in air toxics for some time, and I am delighted that, although there was some dissension, Western Australia supported this move. The draft has now been released for two months of public comment, and I urge anyone who is interested to take the opportunity to comment on this draft measure. Air toxics relates to the emission of toxics such as benzene, formaldehyde, toluene and xylenes. The second decision was to include in the air quality national environment protection measure very small particles or PM 2.5s. Under the former Minister for the Environment this Parliament had a Select Committee on Air Quality, and that committee raised the issue of PM 2.5s, so it is pleasing to see this new inclusion in the network. In Western Australia we are already monitoring PM 2.5s in Perth and Bunbury, so we are somewhat ahead of some of the other States in doing that monitoring, but as a result of signing up to this document there will be increased monitoring in this area.
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