Cockburn Cement in Munster has been branded as primarily responsible for dust and odour emissions troubling nearby residents for over ten years, reports The West Australian.
In its 400-page report, the Upper House Environmental and Public Affairs standing committee found that the operation had poorly implemented its air quality buffer, which was designed to keep heavy industry away from the township.
The committee recommended that the WA Government severely limit Cockburn?s dust emission allowance from 150 grams per cubic metre to 30 grams per cubic metre.
The Government itself, however, came under criticism by the report, which found that it had failed to ensure Cockburn properly complied with its license. It also stated that complex planning issues about the plant hadn?t been taken into account.
For its part, Cockburn Cement has denied it?s in the wrong, rejecting suggestions it failed to comply with its license.
“Emissions limits at the site have become steadily stricter during the past decade and as a result emissions levels have also fallen,” general manager of operations Michael Williams told The West Australian.
One of its kilns in the Munster site is set to be fitted with a baghouse filter at the cost of $25m. The company is reticent to commit to a filter for kiln 5 unless it finds the technology works on kiln 6. According to Australian Mining, the company previously overturned an order by Environment Minister Bill Marmion to fit a baghouse filter to its lime plant, one of the largest in the world.
The Department of Environment and Conservation is set to review the report next month.
Sources: The West Australian; Australian Mining