Update on Nyrstar site report
The EPA has received Nyrstar’s site contamination audit report for its Port Pirie smelter site.
Under its Voluntary Site Contamination Assessment Proposal, Nyrstar was required to submit a site contamination audit to the EPA. The current auditor was engaged in 2014 to undertake this work.
The EPA-accredited auditor submitted the final report on 1 April 2022 and the EPA has commenced a preliminary review.
Once a full review of the audit report has been completed, the EPA will use the information provided to inform the next stages of engagement and regulation.
The report shows the presence of heavy metals including cadmium and lead, as well as per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in the Port Pirie River, which are expected given the long industrial history of the area.
It also shows very low concentrations of uranium (below the Australian Drinking Water Guidelines).
Uranium has previously been identified in the wider area.
After a regulatory and administrative review of the audit, the EPA will place the document in the public register.
