Background
On 15 February 2001, fire destroyed a liquid waste treatment and recycling facility at 1 Bulbey Street, Bellevue.
The facility operator, Waste Control Pty Ltd, subsequently went into receivership and the State Government is now the registered owner of the site.
Soil and groundwater investigations found a broad range of contaminants including petroleum hydrocarbons and chlorinated solvents, which can be attributed to historical site operations, the fire and fire-fighting water runoff.
A second source of trichloroethene, a chlorinated solvent, was also identified between the site and the Helena River.
In the first phase of remediation, a permeable reactive barrier (PRB) was installed in 2010, to intercept and treat contaminated groundwater before it reaches the Helena River.
DevelopmentWA was appointed by the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation (DWER) to manage the contamination at Bellevue’s former waste control site and restore it for future industrial land use consistent with City of Swan zoning (general industrial use). For details on the Bellevue Remediation project, visit DevelopmentWA’s website.
What Is Happening Now?
Show moreThe clean-up of the offsite source of trichloroethene near Stanley Street, started in June 2016, has now been completed. The technology used was a form of enhanced in-situ bioremediation in which emulsified vegetable oil and specialised bacteria were injected into the soil to break down the contaminants. The success of the bioremediation was determined by performance monitoring over a three-year period. The results of the final period of monitoring were submitted to DWER in January 2020. The affected land will be reclassified to reflect the new information in due course.
Lot 2 (directly south-east of the former Waste Control site and extending to the end of Stanley Street) was found to be suitable for continuing commercial and industrial use in mid-2019, when it was reclassified to ‘remediated for restricted use’ and sold for commercial development.
On the former waste control site, concrete slabs and services have been removed and disposed at a licensed landfill. The clean-up works were overseen by an independent Contaminated Sites Auditor and monitoring was undertaken to ensure the safety of workers and the environment.
DWER received reports documenting the investigation, remediation and most monitoring works, including a mandatory auditor’s report in mid-December 2019. DWER is currently assessing the documents. A further round of groundwater monitoring was undertaken in late 2019 to confirm the current quality of groundwater. The former waste control site was reclassified to ‘remediated for restricted use’ in March 2021 and is suitable for commercial redevelopment.
Groundwater Monitoring
Show more2017
2017 Groundwater Monitoring Report - Former Waste Control Site (PDF)
2013
2013 Bellevue Annual Groundwater Monitoring Programme - Report (PDF)
2012
2012 Bellevue Annual Groundwater Monitoring Programme - Report (PDF)
2011
2011 Bellevue Annual Groundwater Monitoring Programme - Report (PDF)
2010
2010 Bellevue Annual Groundwater Monitoring Programme - Report (PDF)
2009
2008
Technical Reports and Fact Sheets
Show more- Background and risk (PDF)
- Clean-up (PDF)
- Groundwater monitoring (PDF)
- Stakeholder Discussion Document for Workshop No. 5 (PDF)
Includes remediation strategy for cleaning up the offsite groundwater contamination and conceptual construction plan for the permeable reactive barrier. - Bellevue Stakeholder Update Meeting briefing document (PDF)
Outlines site progress during 2008 and the first quarter of 2009. The report details the current understanding of the distribution of contaminants at the site and offsite, and the remediation strategy for the site. - Detailed Site Investigation (PDF) – prepared by URS Australia, February 2002
- Parliamentary Inquiry: Bellevue Hazardous Waste Fire Volume 1 (PDF)
- Parliamentary Inquiry: Bellevue Hazardous Waste Fire Volume 2 (PDF)
More Information
Show moreThe department will update this page as new information comes to hand.
Residents who have concerns or would like more information should visit DevelopmentWA’s website or call DWER's Contaminated Sites hotline on 1300 762 982.
Updated August 2020
