Port Pirie Smelter

Nyrstar Port Pirie focused on the ten by 10 goal

Above: Nyrstar tenby10 team, L-R Front: Robert Hosking (Environmental Superintendent), John Roeters (Superintendent Tenby10 Project), Gail Bartel (Stakeholder Relations Facilitator), Paul Brewer (Manager Environment, Manager tenby10 project), Matt Howell (GM - Nyrstar Port Pirie, Tenby10 Executive). Back row: Sarah Gilbert (Senior Environmental Advisor), Bridget Lange (Stakeholder Relations Co-ordinator), Tanya Tilley (Stakeholder Relations Co-ordinator), Karen Seindanis (Tenby10 Support). Row kneeling left - right: Alan (Barney) Barnett ( Environmental Programs Co-ordinator), Frank Boyes (Senior Environmental Advisor), Graeme (Spanner) Combe (Tenby10 Facilitator), Grant Tubb (Environmental Technician), Mick Arnold (Environment Support), Gary Fradd (Tenby10 Project Officer)

The highest community priority of Nyrstar Port Pirie is to reduce the levels of lead present in blood, with a focus on children between 0-4 years. The Smelter's goal is to work to achieve at least 95% of children in this age group to have a blood level below 10µg/dL by the end of 2010 - or the ten by 10 project as it has become known. While this project was initially an initiative of the Smelter, the lead in blood issue is an all of community issue, and as such, other key stakeholders have joined together to jointly own the project. These stakeholders are the Environmental Health Service, the Environmental Protection Authority, the Port Pirie Regional Council and the SA Department of Health.

Download: Watching kids blood lead levels.pdf

Understanding the issue

A huge amount of work is being done at Nyrstar Port Pirie to support the tenby10 project’s goal with Nyrstar committing $56 million dollars to the project till the end of 2010. The project is a team effort with many people generating ideas and working hard both on and off site to increase knowledge and awareness of all the issues that impact on children’s blood-lead levels. This knowledge has enabled specific projects to be targeted on site to ensure the $18million of capital works allocated for the 06/07 financial year had the most impact. The tenby10 project not only focuses on major capital works on-site, but also works to raise community and employee awareness. These have included ongoing project updates to employees, but also presentations to schools and service and sporting groups clubs to share knowledge of the project in the community. Understanding and ownership of the project by the Port Pirie community is critical to the success of tenby10.

How does exposure from Lead dust particles happen?

Lead dust particles escape by fugitive emissions which are unplanned emissions. Lead dust that is created during plant processes also stays on site. As the smelter is located on the northern side of Port Pirie in close proximity to residents, this lead dust can become wind borne and enter the community when wind blows predominantly from the North. The two initial exposure pathways are via the air-borne lead but also from the lead particles that have already settled on surfaces and then transferred from the surface or object to a person.

What’s happening at the Nyrstar Port Pirie site?

The ten by 10 project is all about reducing blood lead levels in the Port Pirie community, to ensure children’s blood lead levels meet the national standard of 10µg/dL. To achieve this goal, a significant focus for the Smelter has been to identify specific areas of the plant that allow for the fine particles of dust containing lead to escape, as well as increase its understanding in how these lead dust particles stay on site where they could potentially be blown off site and into the community.