Lead contamination concerns at two WA ports have dominated the festive season, with two mines ordered to cease all lead shipments until further notice.
Lead contamination concerns at two WA ports have dominated the festive season, with two mines ordered to cease all lead shipments until further notice.
On December 23, the Department of Transport suspended shipments of Minerals and Metals Group’s lead sulphide through the port of Geraldton after it exceeded its daily emission limit.
Just days later, the Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC) announced a stop order on all Magellan Metals’ lead carbonate shipments through Fremantle after traces of lead were found in the containers used to ship the carbonate in double-lined bags.
This week, after extensive testing and a total shutdown of operations, Magellan’s Canadian parent company, Invernia, announced that the initial tests were incorrect and there had been no breach of baseline limits.
The company said an independent expert had confirmed the initial tests showing lead levels exceeding the baseline were incorrect and at no time in the 15 months since testing has been in place had Magellan exceeded acceptable levels.
In a statement, the company said testing of 300 individual monitoring sites along the route from Wiluna to Fremantle had shown no trace of lead carbonate. State government testing had also failed to find any trace of contamination.
Beginning on January 4, DEC’s Pollution Response Unit carried out extensive tests on the containers used to transport Magellan lead and the area in which they are stored.
Three days later, the government announced that no evidence of contamination had been found.
Additional DEC test results this week confirmed that, but it is still unknown when the stop order will be removed and shipments can resume, or when Magellan will resume operations at its mine.
On January 5, Magellan announced a total shutdown of operations, suspending contractors and suppliers but retaining its entire workforce on full pay.
Meanwhile, in the furore over Magellan’s stop order, activities in Geraldton have been all but forgotten.
MMG continues to consult with the Geraldton Port Authority and the relevant government departments to resolve its breach, which came in the first shipment subject to new monitoring systems implemented by GPA.
Transport Minister Troy Buswell said there would be no further shipments of lead through the port until the state government was satisfied there was no health risk to residents and that improved monitoring and reporting systems had been implemented.
Lead sulphide is produced as a by-product of MMG’s operations at the mine, which primarily produces zinc, copper and gold, and is only shipped out of Geraldton four times a year.
A spokesperson for the company told WA Business News MMG was also looking into implementing a community monitoring system to ease concerns.
