Contaminated site no risk to public

The contaminated power station site in Marble Bar does not pose any health risk to the local community, according to Horizon Power and environmental regulators.

The two parcels of land adjacent to Ironclad Street were registered as a contaminated site with the Department of Environmental Regulation in 2008, after testing indicated diesel plume and heavy metals were present in the soil and groundwater.

During a Shire of East Pilbara council meeting last month, councillor Dean Hatwell questioned whether the decommissioned site would be suitable for use by the community in the future.

A Horizon Power spokeswoman told the Telegraph there was no evidence from groundwater testing of any risk to humans or the environment.

She said the site had been monitored at least once a year for the past decade and that key stakeholders, including the Shire and Department of Environment Regulation, would continue to be kept informed about work on the two lots.

"Horizon Power is satisfied that there is no risk to the public or the environment but is unable to say that all risk is totally eliminated," she said.

"The soil sampling work is not yet complete as remaining infrastructure has only just been removed from the site.

"If that testing indicates more remediation to improve the site then that will be undertaken."

She added a groundwater remediation trial undertaken in April 2015 determined negligible benefit likely to be achieved from further active groundwater remediation.

"The groundwater plume is in a northerly direction, which means it is away from the adjacent park and is not expected to change course or result in any risk to park users," she said.

"Sandy Creek, an intermittent creek which regularly dries up, is to the west and north of the site and testing indicates there is no impact to the creek from the groundwater plume."

A spokeswoman from the Department of Environment Regulation said all monitoring and reporting was subject to review by an accredited contaminated site auditor to ensure the project was in compliance with the Contaminated Sites Act.

"DER requires Horizon Power to provide updates every six months regarding these activities," she said.

Detailed information about this site is publicly available on DER's Contaminated Sites Database at http://www.der.wa.gov.au/csdatabase.