BY BARRY HEALY
MIDLAND, WA — In response to the February 11 Four Corners program that exposed the extent of the devastating toxic fire at the Waste Control recycling site in Bellevue in February 2000, and a year of community protest action, Western Australia's Labor government on March 11 announced a $5.6 million clean up of the site.
Contaminated Sites Alliance spokesperson Lee Bell told Green Left Weekly that while the residents welcome the announcement, they do not know when the clean up will begin or how it will proceed. "It won't start happening for at least two years. They have to complete all the studies of what is there, where it is and then figure out what to do with it.
"We don't want them to do a big dig and dump, spraying dust all over the place."
Bell was certain that the politically embarrassing Four Corners program was responsible for the government's move. "This is policy by media", he said. "It's a shame that it takes that to get them to pay attention."
Bell believes that the clean up's final price tag will be mre than $10 million. "This $5.6 million is just a down payment", he said.
From Green Left Weekly, March 20, 2002.
Visit the Green Left Weekly home page.