Xstrata, Mt Isa, children have elevated lead levels

More on Xstrata’s record on heavy metal pollution…

The director of Townsville’s Environmental Health Unit says one in 10 children from Mount Isa, in north-west Queensland, tested for lead, have shown marginally elevated levels in their blood.

Dr John Piisanen says 185 children aged one to four have been tested since last December with 18 returning positive tests.

Environmental samples taken around the area show lead levels are more than 30 times above federal health guidelines.

Dr Piisanen says the next step is to find out how the children were exposed.

“We’ve used as a benchmark the world health guideline of 10 micrograms per decilitre and 18 children have gone over that, none of them are over 20 and it hasn’t shown any alarming contamination,” he said.

“What it’s shown is that there’s a need to case manage those 18 kids and find out where their exposures may have been and negate those exposures.”

full story from the ABC…

Xstrata won’t release tests, denies responsibility

More on Xstrata’s corporate responsibility and their attitude to heavy metal pollution…

THE Mount Isa Mines company has refused to release in-house research about heavy metal contamination in the central Queensland community.

The data would fill in gaps in surveys conducted by a team of Australian and British scientists who found lead levels in residential areas of Mt Isa were up to 33 times higher than limits set by federal guidelines.

“We’ve asked them for the reports, but nothing is forthcoming,” said Mark Taylor, an environmental scientist with Macquarie University, Sydney.

“The data would help health authorities make appropriate decisions about follow-up risk assessment on a property-by-property or area-by-area basis,” Dr Taylor said.

“We’re not going to do that,” a spokesperson for Mt Isa Mines said when The Australian asked for the research. No explanation was provided.

The EPA, however, said it was taking the matter seriously.

“The EPA is now in the process of reviewing and mapping the data. The agency will also compare it to historical soil sample results, areas previously cleaned up and geological maps of naturally high mineralisation areas,” said the spokesperson.

Last night Dr Taylor rejected Xstrata’s claim that his group’s findings were “within limits” set by national guidelines.

“The facts are what they are,” he said, noting that the sample analysis was conducted at two independent British laboratories in London.

Leigh Dayton, Science writer, The Australian, March 20, 2007

full story from the Australian

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