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All the info on lead through Freo: free public seminar

A FREE public information session on the transport of lead carbonate through Fremantle will be held at the University of Notre Dame from 7pm, Monday, April 7.

Fremantle Mayor Peter Tagliaferri will lead the presentations, followed by South West Greens MLC Paul Llewellyn, Shadow Minister for Environment & Climate Change Graham Jacobs and Locals for Esperance Development spokeswoman Michelle Crisp, who will give a 20-minute talk on her experience as an Esperance resident living through the lead contamination saga.

Mayor Tagliaferri said this was an opportunity to find out why the City of Fremantle is so vehemently opposed to the transport of lead carbonate through the metropolitan area, along with the devastating effect it has already had on one WA community.

“Magellan Metals can point to all the conditions the Environment Ministers has placed on their proposal and claim they are evoking ‘world’s best practice’ as much they want,” he said.

“The fact remains their original approval was for lead ingots, which are far safer than the dust that comes from lead carbonate and is extremely difficult to contain once it escapes into the atmosphere, no matter what safeguards are in place.

“Why spend the money on meeting the strict conditions for lead carbonate transport when you could use it to fund the production of lead ingots, which have a much wider acceptance from the community and more environmentally sound?

“A recent train derailment highlighted just how precarious the transport of dangerous goods can be and to have material such as lead carbonate come through an even-more populated area makes no sense at all.

“This information session is a chance for the public to hear more about the issue and create an awareness of just how wrong-footed the State Government is on this decision.”

The free public information session is at 7pm, Monday, April 7, in the University of Notre Dame’s medicine lecture theatre (ND35) at 38 Henry Street, Fremantle.