Industrial waste rules the roads
Commercial and industrial rubbish have become the twin scourges of Port Hedland, according to a local environmental group.
Care for Hedland Environmental Association chairwoman Kelly Howlett said the findings from a recent Adopt-a-Spot cleanup revealed, in certain areas, the majority of litter was coming from BHP and FMG.
She said the association, in conjunction with Main Roads, had adopted the stretch between Port and South Hedland.
"We've been noticing over the year we've been conducting these cleanups that there's been a lot of work, commercial and industrial related rubbish," she said.
"So it's not so much coffee cups or takeaway food packaging, but actually the packaging from plumbing supplies, gloves, dust masks, and a lot of danger tags from various companies."
Ms Howlett said it was interesting to note that from the cleanup near the Six Mile turnoff about 75 per cent of the tags were related to BHP and around 25 per cent related to FMG, while the rest was from the Pilbara Port Authority and Dampier Salt.
"But when we did the cleanup around the cemetery entrance it was pretty well 95 per cent BHP," she said.
Ms Howlett said the findings had been passed on to Main Roads and BHP, and she hoped the companies could work together to combat the problem.
A BHP Billiton Iron Ore spokeswoman said the company had reminded employees about the requirements to secure vehicle loads and maintain a clean and tidy site to prevent the spread of industrial litter.
"We will continue to work towards managing litter at and from our sites with the objective of ensuring a safe and clean environment for our employees and the Port Hedland community," she said. An FMG spokeswoman also echoed BHP's sentiments, suggesting the company regularly educated and communicated the importance of responsible waste disposal and the negative impact of littering to staff.
"Any employee or contractor littering will be subject to internal disciplinary processes, as well as any penalties imposed by relevant public authorities," she said.
