The Port Pirie Smelter along with the wider community, is facing one of its most difficult challenges, that is to reduce Lead Contamination in Port Pirie, a significant environmental and health issue that impacts on both the Smelter and the community of Port Pirie.
While the issue of Lead Contamination in Port Pirie has been around for many years, the importance of reducing blood lead levels has not diminished. Current trends indicate a rise in the number of children in the community who have elevated blood lead levels, an alarming trend that not only has a significant impact on children’s health but also attracts negativity towards the Port Pirie Smelter and the wider community. In fact the very sustainability of the Smelter and the future of the community is at stake if current blood lead levels cannot be reduced.
In recognition of this, the Port Pirie Smelter has joined forces with various stakeholders to establish key partnerships aimed at delivering initiatives to reduce lead in blood levels present in the Port Pirie community.
As an indication of it’s commitment, the Port Pirie Smelter has set a goal to ensure at least 95% of children 0 – 4 years have a blood lead level of less than 10 µg/dl by the end of 2010, or the ten by 10 Project as it is has become known.
While a commitment to this goal has been given by the the Port Pirie Smelter Board and the Management team at Port Pirie, it is recognised the key to the success of the ten by 10 Project will require active participation and involvement from groups and organisations other than the Port Pirie Smelter. It is a whole of community, and key stakeholder project, and input and ownership from the Environmental Health Centre, Dept of Health, Environmental Protection Authority, Regional Development Board and Port Pirie Regional Council is critical.
As such two key groups, the ten by 10 Executive and the ten by 10 Working Party, have been established to work in conjunction with the management team at the Port Pirie Smelter. Representatives from key stakeholder groups are active participants on both groups, meeting regularly to push forward initiatives to meet the goal but also to deal with the many significant issues that continue to arise as the ten by 10 Project develops.
To date a great deal has been done on site to identify those sources that contribute the most to lead dust entering the environment, and also identify the mechanisms that allow for lead dust to leave the site. The next major focus will be to undertake work to close off emission sources which include the Slag Fuming Plant, the Sinter Plant and the Blast Furnace.
The ten by 10 Project also has a crucial community aspect to it. Much has already been done to collate factual information about lead dust in the community to ensure all projects identified have a direct impact on the reduction of Lead in Blood in the community.
To date the ten by 10 community initiatives have included substantial focus group research and community and employee lead in blood surveys, with the information gathered being used to further assist the ten by 10 Project team, management, key stakeholders and employees to better understand the issue and how to best deal with it.
Comprehensive ten by 10 briefings to all employees, contractors and their partners as well as many key stakeholder groups in the community continue on a regular basis and Port Pirie Smelter partner tours of the site in conjunction with lead contamination information briefing sessions aimed at reducing take home lead are about to be initiated. A series of educational initiatives that revolve around better communication with our employees and the wider community are also being planned.
While the ten by 10 Project may be in its infancy the momentum is building. the Port Pirie Smelter is committed to building a sustainable future for the smelter with the Port Pirie community. A sustainable future means a safe, productive and efficient operation. But a sustainable future also means a community and company that both have a positive profile with respect to Lead Contamination.