New moves on Mount Isa air

Mount Isa residents will soon have hourly access to information about the level of metals such as lead in the air.

Sustainability, Climate Change and Innovation Minister Andrew McNamara said the city would be the first in Australia to have the revolutionary air monitoring system, courtesy of a $300,000 machine on order from the United States.

It will be the first independent air monitoring for heavy metals in Mount Isa.

In another initiative, Ms Keirnan said Xstrata has agreed to supply its air quality data to be examined by EPA scientists every month.

"This is proof of the Queensland Government’s commitment to the people of Mount Isa to ensure that the air they breathe is safe," Mr McNamara said.

"The Ambient Metals Monitor came on to the market less than 12 months ago after approval by the US EPA, and Mount Isa will be among the first half-dozen cities in the world to have the machine installed.

"It will provide continuous, near-real time monitoring and reporting of up to 20 elements including lead, zinc, cadmium, copper and arsenic.

"That means that information about heavy metals concentrations in the air will be monitored continuously and reported on the EPA website every hour.

"This is all about ensuring peace of mind for the people of Mount Isa."

The EPA has placed an order for the Ambient Metals Monitor, which is expected to be monitoring Mount Isa’s air by October.

"It is specifically designed for measuring hazardous metal air pollutants in a complex urban area such as Mount Isa," Mr McNamara said.