By Laura Tomlinson, Fremantle-Cockburn Gazette
THE release of Cockburn Cement Limited’s second draft operating licence has exposed the Department of Environment and Conservation as a toothless tiger, according to Cockburn MLA Fran Logan.
Mr Logan said the company’s lawyers “could drive a truck through” the ambiguous licensing conditions.
“I just find it extraordinary that the DEC have not really done anything to tighten up the licensing conditions,” he said.
“If anything, they have worded the conditions in such a way that makes them weaker.
“It uses ‘weasel words’ that allow the company and its lawyers to be able to get away with dumping dust and odour on residents.
“They have been written in such a way to ensure they are not binding, and CCL’s lawyers could drive a truck through these conditions.”
Mr Logan said one of the few technical changes involved altering CCL’s allowed Total Suspended Particulate matter levels to 100mg per cubic metre.
“They’ve reduced it from a binding requirement from 150 to 100 but they’ve changed it to a ‘target’, so they could legally emit even more particulates,” Mr Logan said.
DEC inspection and compliance manager Ian Munro said the department released the draft on August 30, and would formally issue the licence within 21 days unless CCL “could show cause as to why DEC should not amend it”.
The licence will be subject to appeal under the Environmental Protection Act.
“This more stringent amended licence, when formally issued, together with the new investment announced by CCL, is aimed at reducing dust and odour emissions from this plant,” Mr Munro said.
CCL WA/NT operations general manager Darrin Strange said CCL would examine the document and comment to the DEC, but would not say whether the company would contest any elements of the licence.
The news comes as the net profit of Adelaide Brighton, CCL’s parent company, rose to $68.8 million for the six months to June 30, compared with $43.9 million in the previous period.