EPA shuts down troubled recycling plant over lead dust contamination fears

A Launceston metal recycler has been shut down amid concerns it has risked public health by spreading harmful lead dust over nearby homes and businesses. Details.

Recycal Pty Ltd's Rocherlea facility. Picture: Facebook

A Launceston metal recycler has been shut down by the Environment Protection Authority amid concerns it has risked public health by spreading harmful lead dust over nearby homes and businesses for several years.

Recycal in the Launceston suburb of Rocherlea has a history of environmental breaches and safety concerns — including a 2022 fire that was one of Tasmania’s largest industrial blazes.

Workers and residents near the site near Brooks High School will be offered free blood testing to check for contamination.

Exposure to lead can affect children’s brain development, and cause serious health issues including anaemia, hypertension, renal impairment, immunotoxicity and damage to the reproductive organs, the World Health Organization says.

The metal shredder that is producing the dust has been operating since at least 2019.

Environment Protection Authority chief Wes Ford issued the shutdown order on Thursday.

“Today, I’ve issued an Environment Protection Notice to Recycal Proprietary Limited to immediately direct them to cease producing dust on that site,” he said.

“That notice requires them to stop using the metal shredder that is generating a significant amount of dust.

EPA Director Wes Ford speaks to the media at the Executive Building in Hobart on Thursday, February 1, 2024.

“The notice also requires them to cover the stockpiles of waste that they have been generating while they had been using that shredder.”

“This is an instance where we have an environmental harm issue that has now become a potential public health risk.”

Mr Ford said workers at the site had been tested and none had returned blood lead levels considered above safe thresholds.

Further action under state environmental laws was being considered. WorkSafe is also involved.

“This particular business has had a number of noncompliances and has continued to operate,” Mr Ford said, saying some earlier enforcement action was ongoing.

“That’s why we’re continuing to work through these matters in terms of both investigation and seeking to prosecute,” Mr Ford said.

Director of Public Health Mark Veitch said monitoring was underway to determine the extent of the contamination.

“I should say at the outset that the concentration of lead in dust is clearly highest very close to the Recycal facility,” he said.

Director of Public Health Mark Veitch speaks to the media at the Executive Building in Hobart on Thursday, February 1, 2024.

“The evidence that we have to date shows that it tends to become considerably less as you get more than a few hundred meters away from the site.

“I think that’s important because it demonstrates that there’s unlikely to be significant public health risk once you get a reasonable distance away from the site.”

Soil testing at the nearby Brooks High School had been negative for lead and the school was being cleaned, he said.

Public health officers would visit homes and businesses in the area over the coming days to talk to people about the risks and precautions.

Current advice was to keep dust out of homes and workplaces, and wipe down dusty surfaces with damp cloths or mops rather than sweeping as well as washing hands before eating.

“Doing those things to keep control of dust and, if people choose to, to have a blood test will also keep them safe and provide them with considerable reassurance in the meantime,” Dr Veitch said.

The risk to public health from consuming the products of a local bakery was considered low, he said.

“We’ve identified the bakery as a business of concern and public health and our environmental health team has a long track record of dealing with manufacturing bakers and other food manufacturers, dealing with a range of contaminants,” he said.

“So they one of our first that we engaged with actually late last week with advice on how they can reduce the risk of contamination on their site.”