The Deed Administrators of Pasminco Cockle Creek Pty Ltd (Subject to Deed of Company Arrangement) (“PCCS”) in conjunction with The Department of Planning (“DOP”), The Department of Environment, Climate Change Water (NSW) (“DECCW”) and Lake Macquarie City Council (“LMCC”) are pleased to announce to the selected residents of Boolaroo, Speers Point and Argenton, Edgeworth, Teralba and Macquarie Hills that the Lead Abatement Strategy (“LAS”) has now commenced.
The LAS has been developed in conjunction with the DOP, DECCW and LMCC to find a suitable and workable solution to managing the lead fallout levels from soils in the community.
A lead and zinc smelter operated for over 100 years at Cockle Creek. During its operation the smelter released fine particles of lead into the air that subsequently settled on some parts of the surrounding communities. In 1992 elevated blood lead levels were identified in children living in North Lake Macquarie.
Since the closure of the Pasminco Cockle Creek Smelter in 2003, the site has been undergoing extensive remediation. The NSW Department of Health has measured a significant decline in the blood lead levels of children in North Lake Macquarie since that time and is no longer concerned with the risks to human health posed by lead in the area.
Despite these findings the Deed Administrators have identified a need for the remediation process to surpass the boundaries of the site and include the local community, creating a safer environment for all.
The LAS has been jointly developed with the Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water New South Wales and Lake Macquarie City Council, with the aim of finding a suitable and workable solution to further reducing the potential the exposure to lead fallout from soil in the community. A copy of the Lead Abatement Strategy Implementation Document, approved by the Department of Planning and the Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water in 2007 can be downloaded here.
The LAS is designed to manage the levels of lead dust particles which may have been deposited on residential properties from PCCS.
A qualified independent sampling laboratory will analyse the lead levels contained within the soil of eligible properties. The results will determine what action is required to reduce the levels of lead in the soil at each of the eligible properties.
Abatement works may range from the provision of educational material to the addition of top soil or even to scraping away a layer of contaminated soil and replacing with lead free soil and turf.
The objective of the program is to provide a barrier between the contaminated soil and residents of eligible properties.
Residents should be aware that the LAS only extends to grassed and exposed bare soil areas of properties.
"It does not include flower beds, driveways, sealed areas, outhouses, sheds or dwellings or soils within a two metre proximity to buildings"
Any contaminated material removed from eligible properties will be stored within a containment cell currently under construction on the PCCS site.
The LAS is not exchangeable for any other actions nominated by the property owner.
The LAS will be completed in three distinct phases, Consultation, Sampling and Implementation.
THE CONSULTATION PHASE ENDED ON 31 JULY 2011
Should you have any questions regarding the LAS please do not hesitate to contact the LAS Team.
Telephone: 1300 992 342 (toll free)
Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Postal Address: LAS Team, PO Box 16110, Collins Street West, Melbourne VIC 8007
Disclaimer:
Please note that the content of this website is a summary of the LAS program and its various phases, as proposed by the Deed Administrators, for the purpose of informing residents of the possible application of the LAS to their property. Reliance should not be placed on the content of this website to determine your eligibility to participate in the LAS. To obtain further information regarding the LAS and to ascertain the eligibility criteria and terms of the LAS, as they apply to you please contact the LAS Team. Further particulars of the LAS are available upon request.
