Esperance Lead Issue
Following the reported deaths of native birds at Esperance in Western Australia between December 2006 and March 2007, it was discovered that lead being exported through the town's Port had caused or contributed to their deaths.
On 12 March 2007, the Board of the Esperance Port Authority put an immediate stop to any further shipments of lead carbonate through the Port.
A Parliamentary Inquiry into the event was instigated and investigated the bird deaths, high blood-lead levels in Esperance residents and the contamination of the town's water tanks.
The Parliamentary Inquiry report was published in November 2007.
The Inquiry found that the issues were complex and involved multiple parties including the Esperance Port Authority and the Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC).
The DEC subsequently instigated legal action against the Esperance Port Authority on various matters relating to polluting the Esperance town site. The Port entered a guilty plea in October 2009 on most charges against it and was subsequently fined A$525,000 under the WA Environmental Protection Act 1986, the biggest fine ever under the Act.
The government is spending an estimated A$20 million on the clean up in Esperance. Magellan agreed to make a voluntary contribution of A$9 million to the Western Australian State Government towards the clean up of Esperance and separate A$1 million for community projects in the town.
Read more about this topic: Magellan Metals
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