Tuesday 12 June 2018
Hansard of the Legislative Council

Bell Bay Industries - Pollution Concerns

Mr FINCH question to LEADER of the GOVERNMENT in the LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, Mrs HISCUTT

[2.36 p.m.]

As the Government may be aware, there is increasing concern by residents across the Tamar from Bell Bay industries about noise and other pollution.  Residents at Clarence Point, in my electorate of Rosevears, for example, are worried about a black residue found on their houses and decks.  Can the Government assure them that this residue is not toxic and that water stored from their roofs is safe to drink?

ANSWER

Mr President, I thank the member for Rosevears for his question.  The Environment Protection Authority has met with concerned Clarence Point residents and has inspected the black residue on their houses and decks.  The black residue has been sampled and sent for laboratory testing at Analytical Services Tasmania , and results are expected in the near future.
 
The TEMCO health, safety and environmental coordinator has also met with the concerned residents and sampled the residue for analysis.  TEMCO has been monitoring deposition throughout the Tamar Valley for 20 years, including in West Tamar.  The results of this monitoring are provided in the TEMCO-Australian Energy Regulator environmental management plan - EMP - and indicate a negligible impact.  The source of the black residue may be smoke particles from fuel reduction burns and Clarence residential wood fires.

The EPA air section has developed a mobile air monitoring station at Clarence Point for the purpose of monitoring PM10 and PM2.5 parameters typically associated from wood smoke from fires.  The EPA cannot make guarantees regarding the safety of tank water from individual residences as multiple variables, which the EPA cannot regulate, influence the safety of tank water.