Toxic Heavy Metals Taskforce Tasmania

Media Release

10th February 2010

TASKFORCE CALLS ON MINE MANAGER TO RELEASE ‘SCOPE’ OF NEW INVESTIGATION

The Toxic Heavy Metals Taskforce has today called on Mr John Lamb General Manager of MMG Mine in Rosebery to publicly release the scope of GHD’s Environmental Sampling Program being conducted in Rosebery.

Spokesperson for the Taskforce Kay Seltitzas has today said “We are very disturbed about the apparent secrecy surrounding the scope of GHD’s Environmental Sampling Program.

We have written three times now to John Lamb, General Manager at MMG Rosebery asking for the scope of their new GHD Environmental Sampling Program. We wrote to Mr Lamb on the 11th and 25th January and again on the 4th February this year.

Mr Lamb has already stated late last year that he is committed to being open and transparent about all issues pertaining to MMG’s new GHD Environmental Sampling Program.

We believe that the principles of Community Engagement have been ignored by the mine by denying community and stakeholders the right to discuss and have input into the scope of the investigation.

This Community Engagement process should have occurred prior to MMG’s notice sent to residents on the 20th December 2009 inviting them to have their properties tested.

Residents should have been able to access and make comment on a ‘Draft Scope for the Environmental Sampling Program” prior to their committing to being part of any residential testing program.

Our Taskforce publicly released a detailed Critique of the EPA’s Investigation contained in the Final Report last year.

The Rosebery community can have little confidence in MMG’s commitment to transparency given MMG’s secrecy over the details of the scope of GHD’s Environmental Sampling Program.

Our Taskforce is calling on John Lamb to publicly release the scope of GHD’s Environmental Sampling Program immediately” said Kay Seltitzas. 

Email sent to Mr John Lamb on 4th February 2010

“Dear Mr Lamb,

We are writing to you seeking answers to the questions asked of you in

emails we sent on the 11th and 25th January 2010 set out below.

On the 11-01-10 we asked:

“we would be pleased if you could provide us with a copy of the outline

of the GHD Environmental Sampling Program.  We would like to have details

of the scope of the sampling program, the sampling methodology -

including any grid sampling techniques. In addition we would specifically

like to know what methodology for sampling will be used on private

residences, particularly for dust, and under what conditions or

arrangements with residents will these tests be done.

Could you also please explain what other possible “contributing factors”

GHD will be including in their sampling program.  What contribution has

the EPA made to development of the GHD scope of the Environmental Sampling

Program and will the results be put out to open Peer Review?”

and on 25-01-10: we additionally asked

“In addition, does the suite of toxicants being tested for in your

environmental sampling program include any radioactive minerals or gasses

such as arsine?”

We look forward to receiving the answers to these questions.