❓ Hon Robin Chapple questions the Minister for Environment regarding the disposal of arsenic trioxide at the Barrick Kanowna Belle mine, including dates, levels, inspections, relevant legislation, conditions imposed by DEC, and potential breaches. The Minister provides answers detailing dates, inspections, relevant legislation and licence conditions.
AnsweredQoN 2536Legislative 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://www.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) Can the Minister state the specific date on which arsenic trioxide was first disposed of in bulker bags in the upper levels of the Kanowna Belle Mine?
(2) If no to (1), why not?
(3) Can the Minister state exactly how many levels there are in the Kanowna Belle Mine, below the levels in which the arsenic trioxide referred to in (1), was disposed of?
(4) If no to (3), why not?
(5) Can the Minister state how many inspections have taken place at the Kanowna Belle Mine, since the date that the arsenic trioxide referred to in (1), was first disposed of underground in the mine?
(6) If no to (5), why not?
(7) Can the Minister state and quote the relevant sections of the
Environmental Protection Act 1986
, contaminated sites legislation, and any other legislation covered by the Department of Environment and Conversation (DEC)which apply to, -
(a) the handling of arsenic trioxide at the Kanowna Belle Mill and Mine;
(b) the encapsulating of arsenic trioxide at the Kanowna Belle Mill and Mine; and
(c) the disposal of arsenic trioxide at the Kanowna Belle Mill and Mine?
(8) If no to (7), why not?
(9) Can the Minister state specifically all conditions imposed on the management of the Kanowna Belle mine by the DEC in relation to them allowing the arsenic trioxide referred to in (1), to be disposed of underground in the mine, the conditions which were to ensure the occupational health of the employees in the mine?
(10) If no to (9), why not?
(11) Can the Minister state specifically all policies and procedures put in place by the management at the Kanowna Belle mine by relation to them disposing of the arsenic trioxide referred to in (1), underground in the mine, the policies and procedures which were to ensure the occupational health of the employees in the mine?
(12) If no to (11), why not?
(13) Can the Minister state, since the time that the arsenic trioxide referred to in (1), was disposed of underground in the Kanowna Belle mine until today, -
(a) how many thorough physical inspections have taken place by a DEC inspector;
(b) on what date each inspection took place;
(c) what was the result of each inspection;
(d) how many breaches of the
Environmental Protection Act 1986
, contaminated sites legislation and any other legislation covered by the DEC were identified, and the maximum penalty for each breach;
(e) how many breaches of the conditions referred to in (9) were identified, and the maximum penalty for each breach;
(f) how many breaches of the policies and procedures referred to in (11) were identified, and the maximum penalty for each breach; and
(g) whether any responsible persons at Barrick Kanowna were prosecuted, or will be prosecuted, for an breaches referred to in (d), (e) and (f)?
(14) If no to (13), why not?
(15) In regards to (13), has any responsible person at Barrick Kanowna been prosecuted, or will they be prosecuted for any of these breaches referred to?
(16) If no to (15), why not?
http://www.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) Can the Minister state the specific date on which arsenic trioxide was first disposed of in bulker bags in the upper levels of the Kanowna Belle Mine?
(2) If no to (1), why not?
(3) Can the Minister state exactly how many levels there are in the Kanowna Belle Mine, below the levels in which the arsenic trioxide referred to in (1), was disposed of?
(4) If no to (3), why not?
(5) Can the Minister state how many inspections have taken place at the Kanowna Belle Mine, since the date that the arsenic trioxide referred to in (1), was first disposed of underground in the mine?
(6) If no to (5), why not?
(7) Can the Minister state and quote the relevant sections of the
Environmental Protection Act 1986
, contaminated sites legislation, and any other legislation covered by the Department of Environment and Conversation (DEC)which apply to, -
(a) the handling of arsenic trioxide at the Kanowna Belle Mill and Mine;
(b) the encapsulating of arsenic trioxide at the Kanowna Belle Mill and Mine; and
(c) the disposal of arsenic trioxide at the Kanowna Belle Mill and Mine?
(8) If no to (7), why not?
(9) Can the Minister state specifically all conditions imposed on the management of the Kanowna Belle mine by the DEC in relation to them allowing the arsenic trioxide referred to in (1), to be disposed of underground in the mine, the conditions which were to ensure the occupational health of the employees in the mine?
(10) If no to (9), why not?
(11) Can the Minister state specifically all policies and procedures put in place by the management at the Kanowna Belle mine by relation to them disposing of the arsenic trioxide referred to in (1), underground in the mine, the policies and procedures which were to ensure the occupational health of the employees in the mine?
(12) If no to (11), why not?
(13) Can the Minister state, since the time that the arsenic trioxide referred to in (1), was disposed of underground in the Kanowna Belle mine until today, -
(a) how many thorough physical inspections have taken place by a DEC inspector;
(b) on what date each inspection took place;
(c) what was the result of each inspection;
(d) how many breaches of the
Environmental Protection Act 1986
, contaminated sites legislation and any other legislation covered by the DEC were identified, and the maximum penalty for each breach;
(e) how many breaches of the conditions referred to in (9) were identified, and the maximum penalty for each breach;
(f) how many breaches of the policies and procedures referred to in (11) were identified, and the maximum penalty for each breach; and
(g) whether any responsible persons at Barrick Kanowna were prosecuted, or will be prosecuted, for an breaches referred to in (d), (e) and (f)?
(14) If no to (13), why not?
(15) In regards to (13), has any responsible person at Barrick Kanowna been prosecuted, or will they be prosecuted for any of these breaches referred to?
(16) If no to (15), why not?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
14 September 2010
Responded by
Minister for Environment
Response time
77 days
(1) The Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC) has advised me that
in-mine storage of dolocrete encapsulated arsenic trioxide in bulker bags commenced in July 2003.
(2) Not applicable.
(3)-(4) I refer the Honourable Member to my answer to Question on Notice 2315 on 15 June 2010, when I tabled a map of the underground mine indicating the levels.
(5)-(6) There have been five site inspections undertaken by DEC.
(7)-(8) I refer the Honourable member to Part V of the
Environmental Protection Act 1986
, the Environmental Protection (Unauthorised Discharge) Regulations 2004 and the
Contaminated Sites Act 2003.
(9)-(10) I table a copy of the licence for Barrick (Kanowna) Limited.
(11)-(12) Questions regarding the occupational health of the employees in the Kanowna Belle underground mine should be referred to the Minister for Mines and Petroleum.
(13)(a) Five.
(b) 15 May 2006
3 August 2007
13 November 2009
28 April 2010
7 May 2010
(c) 15 May 2006 - not compliant with conditions relating to drums of hydrocarbons not being situated in a bunded area but no spills of these substances were identified.
3 August 2007 - not compliant with conditions relating to the integrity of chemical bunding.
13 November 2009 - not compliant with conditions relating to freeboard in calcine dam and capacity within tailings pipeline bunding.
28 April 2010 - bunding had been corrected and there was sufficient improvement in the capacity of the calcine dam.
7 May 2010 - inspection of underground area for arsenic disposal showed no obvious signs of breaches in management, testing or handling of arsenic trioxide.
(d) There were four breaches of licence conditions, which were investigated by DEC and found to be limited risk to the environment. Licence breaches under the
Environmental Protection Act 1986
have a maximum penalty of $125,000 for a body corporate.
(e) There has been no breach of the conditions relating to arsenic trioxide.
(f)
See the answer to (11)-(12).
(g) No.
(14) Barrick Kanowna took immediate steps to comply with its licence conditions after DEC advised them of the breaches. I am advised that the offences were of limited risk to the environment and DEC considered it was not in the public interest to prosecute.
(15) - (16) See the answers to (13)(g) and (14).
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in-mine storage of dolocrete encapsulated arsenic trioxide in bulker bags commenced in July 2003.
(2) Not applicable.
(3)-(4) I refer the Honourable Member to my answer to Question on Notice 2315 on 15 June 2010, when I tabled a map of the underground mine indicating the levels.
(5)-(6) There have been five site inspections undertaken by DEC.
(7)-(8) I refer the Honourable member to Part V of the
Environmental Protection Act 1986
, the Environmental Protection (Unauthorised Discharge) Regulations 2004 and the
Contaminated Sites Act 2003.
(9)-(10) I table a copy of the licence for Barrick (Kanowna) Limited.
(11)-(12) Questions regarding the occupational health of the employees in the Kanowna Belle underground mine should be referred to the Minister for Mines and Petroleum.
(13)(a) Five.
(b) 15 May 2006
3 August 2007
13 November 2009
28 April 2010
7 May 2010
(c) 15 May 2006 - not compliant with conditions relating to drums of hydrocarbons not being situated in a bunded area but no spills of these substances were identified.
3 August 2007 - not compliant with conditions relating to the integrity of chemical bunding.
13 November 2009 - not compliant with conditions relating to freeboard in calcine dam and capacity within tailings pipeline bunding.
28 April 2010 - bunding had been corrected and there was sufficient improvement in the capacity of the calcine dam.
7 May 2010 - inspection of underground area for arsenic disposal showed no obvious signs of breaches in management, testing or handling of arsenic trioxide.
(d) There were four breaches of licence conditions, which were investigated by DEC and found to be limited risk to the environment. Licence breaches under the
Environmental Protection Act 1986
have a maximum penalty of $125,000 for a body corporate.
(e) There has been no breach of the conditions relating to arsenic trioxide.
(f)
See the answer to (11)-(12).
(g) No.
(14) Barrick Kanowna took immediate steps to comply with its licence conditions after DEC advised them of the breaches. I am advised that the offences were of limited risk to the environment and DEC considered it was not in the public interest to prosecute.
(15) - (16) See the answers to (13)(g) and (14).
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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