The Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) has concluded an inquiry into whether an air quality condition imposed on Yara Pilbara Nitrates Pty Ltd’s Technical Ammonium Nitrate Production Facility (TANPF) on the Burrup Peninsula needed to be changed to protect the region’s rock art.
EPA Chair Dr Tom Hatton said the Authority was recommending changes be made to Yara Pilbara Nitrates’ air quality condition in Ministerial Statement 870, which requires the company to prepare a revised Air Quality Management Plan that outlines measures to progressively minimise air emissions, including the adoption of advances in air pollution control technology.
“The EPA has concluded that the TANPF already uses best practice pollution control technology to minimise air emissions, however, to ensure ongoing improvements the EPA has recommended the proponent identify and implement any new air pollution control technology to further reduce air emissions,” Dr Hatton said.
As part of its inquiry the EPA considered input from the Murujuga Rock Art Stakeholder Reference Group, outcomes from a site visit and meetings with the Murujuga Aboriginal Corporation and Yara Pilbara Nitrates.
Dr Hatton said the EPA also supports the Department of Water and Environment Regulation’s (DWER) work on establishing a Murujuga rock art monitoring program and considers that, once established, it would be the most appropriate overarching program to monitor air quality and rock art on Murujuga.
The EPA has also initiated a study to quantify the cumulative air emissions from existing and proposed future industries within Murujuga to determine the predicted ground level concentrations and deposition rates of various air pollutants due to emissions.
The Minister for Environment will make the final decision regarding amending MS 870 relating to the TANPF on Murujuga.
EPA Report 1648 is available here.
EPA Media Contact: Jayne Rickard on 0466 534 008
Printer-friendly version