United Plan to Reduce Lead Levels in Port Pirie

The Marshall Government and Nyrstar Australia today released the Recommendations from the review into the Port Pirie Targeted Lead Abatement Program (TLAP) detailing the roadmap to lower lead emissions in Port Pirie.

Together with the Port Pirie Regional Council, the Marshall Government and Nyrstar have announced a united and comprehensive plan that will invest more than $28 million in a range of measures that build upon those recommendations and significantly reduce lead levels in the community.

Work has already commenced to implement recommendations from the review conducted by independent Reviewer Mr Lew Owens, which are designed to improve the health of the local community.

In another significant component of TLAP the Marshall Government will also allocate $1 million to complete the remediation of the former residential area north of Frederick Road as part of the plan.

Minister for Energy and Mining Dan van Holst Pellekaan, and Dale Webb, Vice President Australian Operations at Nyrstar, both acknowledged the considerable work undertaken as part of the review and expressed their support for all the recommendations.

“The recommendations from the TLAP Report are focused on having the greatest impact on reducing children’s blood levels,” said Deputy Premier van Holst Pellekaan.

“The Marshall Government, Nyrstar and the Council are taking action to deliver improved health for the children of Port Pirie.

“As Deputy Premier and local MP, I’m determined to reduce the level of lead exposure in Port Pirie and deliver better outcomes for local people.”

Dale Webb, Vice President Australian Operations at Nyrstar said “Nyrstar Australia will continue to work closely with the State Government, Port Pirie Regional Council and the people of Port Pirie to support the implementation of the recommendations from the TLAP Review.

“We welcome the State Government’s announcement today to invest in practical action to tackle the challenge of reducing the levels of lead in the community. We are beginning to see rewards from the recent major investments in environmental improvements at our facility and remain committed to continuing to improve our operations to reduce lead in air concentrations.

“Nyrstar Australia’s recent announcement that we will invest in the construction of a new Product Recycling Facility will also make a significant contribution towards achieving that goal,” he said.

Mayor of Port Pirie Regional Council, Leon Stephens said “The commitment from the Marshall Government and particularly Minister Dan Van Holst Pellekaan is monumental in its delivery.

“This is a commitment to Port Pirie’s health and wellbeing for decades to come, something we have been calling for through Spencer Gulf Cities. We thank the Government for their investment in our wellbeing,” he said.

The package of effective measure put in place (over and above existing TLAP funding and projects) includes:

• The extension of TLAP funding to 2034
• The appointment of Mr Peter Dolan as TLAP Executive Director to increase engagement of the community and provide an ensuring framework to drive the reduction of lead in blood in Port Pirie
• $23 million investment by Nyrstar in a recycling facility at the smelter to significantly reduce fugitive lead emissions and vastly improved the long-term health outcomes of the Port Pirie community and local children in particular
• Creation of 75 jobs at the peak of construction and sustain hundreds of jobs over the life of the project delivering a significant economic boost for Port Pirie
• $2.5 million in funding for remediation and upgrade of 43 Housing SA homes at greatest risk of exposure to help reduce lead levels
• $875,000 master plan and greening strategy to reduce exposure to lead in public spaces,
• The allocation of $1 million to complete the remediation of the former residential area north of Frederick Road as part of the plan.

The TLAP reports can be found at: https://tlap.com.au/latest-news/ or https://tlap.com.au/useful-links/