Port Pirie wharves & smelter

Port Pirie wharves & smelter
Originally uploaded by Royjackward.

The smoke stack at the Zinefex lead smelter plant is over 200 metres high and looks quite benign here. Unfortunately most of Port Pirie has high levels of lead in the soil and houses which has come from many years of gung ho operation in the past. Bad news for young children growing up in the area. The company is trying to deal with the problem by enclosng some of the plant but the whole factory needs up grading e.g. huge open "buckets" of moulten lead have to be shifted from one section of the plant to another by front-end loader.
This is one case where photographs can be misleading. Difficult to appreciate the menace lurking in the background on such a lovely day.