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Parliamentary Questions


Question Without Notice No. 738 asked in the Legislative Council on 6 August 2019 by Hon Dr Steve Thomas

Parliament: 40 Session: 1

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.