Antinuclear

Call for Mt Walton hazardous waste facility to accept toxic material from across Australia, ABC Goldfields By Madison Snow, 26 June 20  The closest neighbour to a toxic waste facility in Western Australia’s Goldfields region is calling for licence changes that will allow it to accept hazardous material from across Australia.

Key points:

• Residents are concerned the waste facility will not be able to compete in light of a new facility opening nearby
• They want to change the facility’s policy to accept waste from around Australia
• The closest neighbour to Mt Walton says it is run at international best practice and wants all others to follow suit

The Intractable Waste Disposal Facility (IWDF) at Mt Walton East is only licensed to take waste from within WA, a condition was set following consultations with the community before its establishment in 1992.

The state-owned facility is Australia’s only long-term disposal site for intractable waste and accepts chemicals such as arsenic trioxide and pesticides, along with low-level radioactive waste, permanently storing them underground.

But the approval of a commercial waste facility at nearby Sandy Ridge, which has a licence to take hazardous materials from around the country, has some residents worried.

Anna Killigrew, who lives 120 kilometres away in Boorabbin National Park, is a member of Mt Walton’s Community Liaison Committee (CLC) and supports the existing site’s management.

She said she was concerned Mt Walton would be left “dead in the water” and unable to compete unless it too could accept waste from around the country.

“The government site is operating to world standard and best practice, which is way and above what the regulations require,” she said.   If the government site can remain viable and receive the waste around Australia it will remain open and therefore under statutory control for the life of the waste.  “I would prefer to have the site which is using the best practice to be able to take the waste.”

At a CLC meeting this week, radiation safety officer Stuart Clark outlined the safety methods implemented at the Mt Walton site, which he said were based on international best practice, going above and beyond what was required by legislation……

………Ms Killigrew and fellow committee member Jan McLeod have asked WA’s Department of Finance, which manages Mt Walton, to assist in changing the policy to allow it to take waste from around Australia.

A department spokesperson, however, said it was not the role of committee members to advocate changes, however individuals could lobby through the appropriate channels.

But Ms Killigrew said changes had been made through the committee in the past.  “We’re just a bit confused as to what we’ll do next, but we will obviously have to go to the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation to have this matter progressed.”

Ms Killigrew said she did not see the need for two waste facilities and was concerned the WA Government would eventually become responsible for monitoring both sites.

Due to the nature of some of the waste, the sites are expected to be monitored for at least 100 years.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-06-26/call-for-mt-walton-facility-to-accept-australia-hazardous-waste/12392518