Illegal freighting angers mayor

Kwinana Town Council has expressed anger at Magellan Metals for using the area's rail networks to transport lead carbonate for about three months.

Kwinana Mayor Carol Adams said the council had not been aware the company was illegally freighting its lead product through the area.

“Magellan Metals have shown a complete disregard for the health and safety of our residents,’’ she said.

“They did not have the environmental authority to come through Kwinana to transport lead,” she said.

“(The council) has written to the Environmental Protection (Authority) to express our anger at the situation and to seek confirmation that our community has not been harmed in any way.

“Local governments do not have a great deal of input when it comes to railway transportation, but this particular route, which was illegally accessed, does fall over some of Kwinana's publicly accessible areas and as such was putting our residents at risk.”

Last week the Environmental Protection Authority announced it was investigating the diversion of some of Magellan Metals lead shipments onto an alternative rail route late last year.

General manager Kim Taylor said he had received confirmation that 10 trains carrying 159 containers of Magellan lead had travelled from Forrestfield container terminal to the North Fremantle quay rail terminal via the Kwinana container terminal, rather than directly from Forrestfield to North Fremantle quay rail terminal.

Mr Taylor said Magellan had voluntarily ceased transporting of lead carbonate and was conducting sampling and isotopic testing on the alternative route to confirm there was no Magellan lead in the environment.

It was also taking steps to amend its contract with the rail operator to ensure there were no future diversions.

He said the diversions occurred in the period from November 10, 2010 to January 4.