Project Overview
Remediate and rehabilitate industrial rubbish and asbestos from a 20 hectare area.
Named after Septimus Roe, Western Australia’s first Surveyor General, Roebourne is the oldest town between Port Gregory and Palmerston (Darwin). Roebourne was developed as the capital of the north west. Roebourne was on the transport route from Wittenoom to Port Sampson.
During the period when asbestos was being transported through Roebourne some material became stored within the town. It was later discarded at the rear of the town behind Mt Welcome. General household and industrial rubbish was spread over an area of approximately 20 hectares.
McMahon Services were awarded the contract to remediate and rehabilitate the area under strict control procedures, to prevent the release of airborne asbestos fibres as the site was in close proximity to occupied tenancies.
These procedures included:
- Holding educational seminars for aboriginal people at the local school and TAFE to warn them of the potential hazards
- Modification of plant and equipment cabins
- Use of a specialised vacuum system to remove friable asbestos material
- The use of truck mounted robotic water cannons and spray equipment
- An extensive air monitoring sampling programme
- Construction of an onsite repository to contain approximately 12,000 m3 of contaminated material
Following the remediation the 20 hectares were raked and native seeds were spread over the area to help regenerate native grasses and plants.
