WATER — SAMSON
DAM — CONTAMINATION
1174. Hon DIANE EVERS to the minister representing the
Minister for Water:
(1) Will the
minister please confirm whether contamination has recently occurred in or near
Samson Dam and nearby creeks and tributaries; and —
(a) if yes, was it a result of Alcoa's
operations at the Willowdale mine site; and
(b) if no, what was the cause?
(2) If yes to (1), what is the
impact to the Samson Brook catchment area—drinking water source?
(3) If yes to (1), what testing and
monitoring is occurring, by whom and at what cost?
(4) If yes to (1), what is being
done to rectify the contamination?
Hon
ALANNAH MacTIERNAN replied:
I thank the member for the
question. The Minister for Water has provided the following information.
(1) Alcoa reports
monthly to the Water Corporation and has advised that there has been a number
of loss of containment incidents associated
with mining activities in the Samson Brook catchment area, such as leaks
from hoses, storage facility spills, drainage sump ruptures, and spills from
refuelling equipment.
(a) Yes.
(b) Not applicable.
(2) No impact on
the drinking water source occurred, as the reported losses were contained and
recovered.
(3) Routine
sampling of Samson Dam and the catchment is undertaken by the Water
Corporation, consistent with the Australian Drinking Water Guidelines, at an
annual cost of $7 100.
(4) Sampling results indicate that
no contamination has occurred.