Intractable Waste Disposal Facility, Mt Walton East (IWDF)

A permanent isolation facility for long term wastes.
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The IWDF, established in 1992, is Australia’s first long-term disposal site for intractable waste generated in Western Australia.

The facility is located approximately 475 kilometres northeast of Perth and is managed by the Department of Finance.

Intractable wastes do not have commercially viable recycling, reuse or disposal options. Intractable wastes are materials that are a management problem by virtue of their toxicity or chemical or physical characteristics which make them difficult to dispose of or treat safely. They include radioactive wastes that need time to break down and chemical wastes that are not readily destroyed. These wastes need long-term management. Intractable wastes can be permanently isolated at the facility to protect the community and the environment.

The operation of the facility is governed by the Minister for the Environment and requires a waste register database to be prepared, maintained and made publicly available.

Waste owners must complete a Waste Acceptance Proforma to enable an assessment of the suitability of the waste for disposal at the IWDF.

Persons seeking further information about the facility, or requiring information from the waste register database, or waste owners requesting a Waste Acceptance Proforma should email IWDF-MountWalton@finance.wa.gov.au