FORRESTFIELD–AIRPORT
LINK — SOIL CONTAMINATION
738. Hon Dr STEVE THOMAS to the minister representing the
Minister for Transport:
I refer to soil excavated from the
Forrestfield–Airport Link.
(1) Can the
minister confirm that excavated soil material from the Forrestfield–Airport
Link project that is currently being stockpiled at 777 Abernethy Road,
Forrestfield, is also being transported off that site?
(2) If yes to (1), to what sites has
it been transported?
(3) What volume has been transported
to each site and for what purpose?
(4) Has this material been tested
for PFAS or other contaminants; and, if so, what were the results?
(5) What was the PFAS concentration
of the soil that has been recycled?
(6) What is the
safe level of PFAS-contaminated soil or material that is deemed to be
acceptable for re-use, and which department determines this level?
Hon
STEPHEN DAWSON replied:
I thank the honourable member for
some notice of the question. I note that I do not have a preamble on the
question I have; nevertheless, the rest of the question remains the same, at a quick
glance.
(1) Yes.
(2) Excess fill
from the Forrestfield–Airport Link project has been transported to the
NorthLink WA project and to the Kenwick rail freight facility project.
(3) Approximately
30 000 cubic metres of soil has been transported to the NorthLink project for
use as engineered backfill. Approximately 90 000 cubic metres of soil has been
transported to the Kenwick rail freight facility project for use as engineered
backfill.
(4) Soil testing
around the FAL project area began in 2015 and has been undertaken in accordance
with a suite of environmental management plans, which have been endorsed by a contaminated
sites auditor accredited by the Department of Water and Environmental
Regulation.
(5) There are
over 3 000 types of PFAS. The most commonly detected PFAS compound in the FAL
project's excess fill is PFOS—perfluorooctane sulfonate. The
highest concentration of PFOS that has been measured
in the FAL project's excess fill is 0.007 milligrams per kilogram. This
concentration is below the human health
and ecological assessment criteria in the ''PFAS National Environmental
Management Plan''.
(6) The PFAS NEMP
provides guidance and a nationally consistent framework—with all state
and federal jurisdictions—for the re-use of soil that contains minor
concentrations of PFAS, such as that identified in the FAL project's
excess fill.