DUST MANAGEMENT —
AIR QUALITY — PORT HEDLAND
627. Hon ROBIN CHAPPLE to the parliamentary secretary
representing the Minister for Health:
I refer to the Port Hedland dust
issue, the Port Hedland buyback scheme and the Port Hedland Dust Management
Taskforce, headed by the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation.
(1) Given the
Department of Water and Environmental Regulation has stated that the air
quality guideline value is not an enforceable limit, could the minister explain
facets of air quality that are enforceable from a public health perspective?
(2) From a health
perspective, do current levels of airborne dust pose any risk to lifelong
residents who decide to stay in the west end of Port Hedland?
(3) Given that
various extant histopathological reports from Port Hedland make reference to
macrophage aggregation and distinguishing dark granular inclusions in macrophagic
cytoplasm, does the minister concede that
airborne particulate metals as a result of industry are a genuine health
concern for the residents of Port Hedland?
(4) For the
purpose of public health, does the minister concede that the levels of airborne
dust in Port Hedland are higher than other settlements in the Pilbara, as a result
of various local industries?
Hon ALANNA
CLOHESY replied:
I thank the honourable member for
some notice of the question.
Due
to the level of detail required, it is not possible to provide an answer in the
time frame given. I give an undertaking to the honourable member to
provide an answer on Thursday, 18 June 2020.