State Government outlines timeline for closure

1/3/03 The Brookdale Liquid Waste Treatment facility will close by the end of this year, with a two staged process to end remaining wastes going to the plant.

1/3/03
The Brookdale Liquid Waste Treatment facility will close by the end of this year, with a two staged process to end remaining wastes going to the plant.
Only a Water Corporation pumping station, which is necessary for corporation operations, will remain.
Environment and Heritage Minister Dr Judy Edwards said under the strategy, the Government would meet the following timelines:

  • Stage 1: Cease acceptance of packaged industrial waste by no later than July 1, 2003.
  • Stage 2: Cease acceptance of liquid industrial waste and biological waste by no later than December 31, 2003.
"This is a considered approach to ensure ongoing community consultation and safe treatment of all wastes," Dr Edwards said.
"It is irresponsible, as some critics have suggested, to close the treatment plant in a matter of weeks.
"We need to make sure that these wastes do not overload alternative waste treatment services and create other potential environmental risks."
This approach follows the successful strategy which saw the Government cease hazardous waste outside approvals going to the plant by June 30 last year.
Dr Edwards said the Government was committed to closing the site in recognition of the poor history of community consultation - and breach of trust in its management.
"Contrary to the attempts by the Opposition to re-write history - that trust was first broken when the former Environment Minister, Cheryl Edwardes, sat on her hands for more than year and a half, allowing hazardous waste to go to the plant outside its approvals and without proper community notification.
"Since we revealed that the plant had been operating outside approvals - there have been 18 inspections and audits of the site, including four community inspections, as well as 22 days of DEP inspectors at the gate.
"This is in comparison to just one audit undertaken by the previous Liberal Government after being notified.

"We face a real challenge to rebuild community trust - but one way to do that is through choosing a new purpose planned, hazardous waste management site, which is selected with community participation.
"The Waste Management Board has already begun this process, working with the community representatives to determine the best way to select such a new site.
"This process must be thorough and extensive - in order to ensure that the community and environment is protected."

Minister's office: 9220 5050

Waste stream management
Stage 1: Cease acceptance of packaged industrial waste no later than July 1, 2003. These waste streams include:
  • batteries (mobile phone, car, camera and watch);
  • thermometers;
  • clean shredded containers (plastic and metal drums); and
  • inorganic salts (residues from mining and metal finishing industries);
Waste producers and transports are responsible for ensuring that all wastes are taken to facilities in accordance with approvals and waste acceptance criteria.
Batteries: Regional waste centres;
Thermometers: Western Resource Recovery, Welshpool for transfer interstate;
Clean shredded containers: directly interstate, Western Resource Recovery,Welshpool for transfer interstate and Class Three/Four Landfills;
Inorganic salts received from interstate are expected to cease once Brookdale closes.
    Stage 2: Cease acceptance of liquid industrial waste and biological waste no later than December 31, 2003.
    Liquid industrial waste include:
    • pool chemicals;
    • metal salts (zinc chloride);
    • spent acids and alkali's;
    • packaged industrial liquid wastes (eg oil/solvent based paints); and
    • industrial liquid waste (oily wastes, liquors containing metals).
    These wastes can be transferred directly interstate; Western Resource Recovery, Welshpool for transfer; and Total Waste Management, Kalgoorlie for treatment.
    Total Waste Management, Kalgoorlie, currently has environmental licence approvals to accept all industrial liquid wastes and has been receiving and treating these wastes from Kalgoorlie and other parts of the State for some time.
    The Government will be establishing a Community Reference Panel in Kalgoorlie and seeking nominations from community, industry and local government representatives to receive monitoring data and undertake broader community consultation over existing, approved activities.
    Any additional works required at the Kalgoorlie facility will be subject to community consultation, however it is not expected that any changes to environmental licence capacity will be required.
    Biological wastes include:
    • grease trap and oily wastes; and
    • septage waste;
    Grease trap and oily wastes could be treated at Total Waste Management, Kalgoorlie; or the Woodman Point Waste Water Treatment Plant, following minor plant modifications.
    Septage wastes can be treated at the Woodman Point Waste Water Treatment Plant, with some additional, minor infrastructure. The DEP has advised the Water Corporation that a Works Approval and subsequent community consultation will be required before acceptance of septage and grease trap waste to Woodman Point.