Clean-up of former BP petrol stn site in Guildford is not health hazard

29/9/98

Environment Minister Cheryl Edwardes today reassured residents that the clean-up of a former BP petrol station site in Guildford would not pose a threat to public health.

The Minister said the clean-up would result in a cleaner and healthier environment for local residents.

Mrs Edwardes said the remediation strategy prepared by BP had been assessed by the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), the Water and Rivers Commission (WRC) and the WA Health Department.

The clean-up was also referred to the Environmental Protection Authority for formal assessment, however EPA chairman Bernard Bowen determined the project could proceed without formal assessment.

The Minister said she had been assured the remediation would be carried out in an environmentally responsible manner.

"The four main agencies involved have concluded that the clean-up would benefit the environment and would have little impact on the surrounding community," she said.

"BP have also given an undertaking that the health and safety of the local residents will be a priority during the clean-up."

Mrs Edwardes said BP had voluntarily undertaken to clean-up the site and had been active in informing the local community how this would be managed.

"However the DEP will closely monitor the remediation," she said.

"If at any stage the DEP feel that the remediation strategy is inadequate, it will issue a regulatory directive such as a pollution abatement notice to ensure that BP's activities meet DEP's requirements."

Mrs Edwardes said there was no evidence at this stage to suggest that groundwater contaminated by BP's activities had discharged into Helena River. BP would install additional bores to determine the extent of groundwater contamination.

Media contact: Nicole Trigwell 9421 7777