Questions Arising from the Liaison Meeting at Boolaroo

26 August 1998

Michelle CALVERT: QUESTIONS: Regarding the minutes of the Liaison Meeting of 1-7-98:-

Point 3.5, para 3 What is considered an unusual elevated case?

Point 4.2 3^rd dot point What continuing education is happening and is it helping?

Point 4.2 6^th dot point Since Incitec was blamed for most odour complaints, what action has been taken against them?

Page 4 strategy 20. How does one get into Technical Advisory Sub-committee?

Who is on the Technical Advisory Sub-Committee?

Can we have a copy of the draft questionnaire?

Page 4 Strategy 21. What is the Greening – Sub Committee recommending? (presented at 15-6-98 meeting).

What decisions have been made?

Elizabeth O’BRIEN: QUESTION: The original Boolaroo lead committee which was planned as an incorporated association had elected members who had a tenure of one year then had to be re-elected. In the absence of a decision having been made about the tenure of community representatives and local environment group representatives on the Remediation Management Committee, wouldn’t tenure of one year be the most appropriate period?

Michelle CALVERT: QUESTION: Would the meeting of 7.10.98 like to draft the aims and objectives of the North Lake Macquarie Environmental Health Liaison Meetings and any appropriate rules?

Kate HAYTER: QUESTION: Is there a written policy to exclude outsiders from the liaison meetings? Is someone from Glendale an outsider? How is an outsider defined? How is this helpful?

Allan GOW: QUESTION: How much arsenic does it take to kill a fish? A child? An adult? What is the level that is considered harmful/unacceptable for prawn breeding?

Allan GOW: QUESTION: Where and when are the creek samples taken when they are sampled six times a day? Is it incoming tide, or outgoing tide? Before or after emissions?

Allan GOW: QUESTION: Has Hunter Water recommissioned the treatment works at the top end of Cockle Creek? Now that the work is finished, is the sewage treatment plant at the top of Cockle Creek pumping out effluent again?

Allan GOW: QUESTION: We've been told that the licence allows 300 kgs of selenium to be discharged in effluent each year, what are the licence allowances for other heavy metals?

Allan GOW: QUESTION: Does Pasminco have the plan for reducing arsenic and cadmium (it was due within six months)? Has there yet been a reduction in arsenic and cadmium emissions?

Elizabeth O'BRIEN: QUESTION: What cadmium blood level is regarded as normal in the Public Health Unit's statement that all cadmium levels in the Phase 9 blood tests were "below normal levels"? Who set the level? When was it set?

Elizabeth O'BRIEN: QUESTION: Why isn't testing for arsenic offered as an option at the blood testing clinics?

Allan GOW: QUESTION: Is it a consent condition to remove from the Pasminco premises all waste material by 1999? Where will it go?

Allan GOW: QUESTION: What is being done to protect residents in all the adjacent areas, eg Edgeworth, Cardiff and Argenton, who will not be protected by the mound?

Allan GOW: QUESTION: How much is Pasminco paying for the land they are going to build the mound on?

Allan GOW: QUESTION: Since the last two upgrades did not achieve compliance with the consent conditions, why should residents believe that Pasminco will achieve the consent conditions with further upgrades?

Allan GOW: QUESTION: How much money does Pasminco pay for their annual licence to pollute?

Theresa GORDON: QUESTION: How were the results from the IUBK model arrived at? What were the input levels?

Theresa GORDON: QUESTION: Is there a conflict of interest policy that the Environmental Health Centre or the Environmental Management Committee is supposed to follow? Can we have a copy?

Elizabeth O'BRIEN: QUESTION: How are fugitive emissions reported by Pasminco?

Elizabeth O'BRIEN: QUESTION: Is a mass balance carried out by Pasminco on lead and other heavy metals?

Kate HAYTER: QUESTION: Why doesn't the Environmental Health Centre ask those residents who are getting an assessment done, whether they are happy for the results to be shown to appropriate other people for example neighbours?

Kate HAYTER: QUESTION: If people at the Liaison meetings recognise that this is a divided community (ie into three groups, people who believe Pasminco do no wrong, people who believe Pasminco has done a lot of damage and should be closed, and people who play a watchdog role because they accept that Pasminco will not be closed), then why are all the community representatives in only one of these groups?

Elizabeth O'BRIEN: QUESTION: What are the aims, objectives and goals of the Remediation Management Committee?

Elizabeth O'BRIEN: QUESTION: Can the financial reports of the Remediation Management Committee be tabled at the Liaison meetings please?