He has called on the Environment Protection Authority (EPA) to let Port Kembla residents know if there were any risks to their health from a week of cement dust pollution between March 19 and 26.

The Mercury reported on Friday that the EPA had fined shipping handler Australian Amalgamated Terminals $15,000 over the incident that occured as clinker – powdered cement ingredients – was being unloaded on the eastern side of the Port Kembla port.

None of the parties involved reported the incident to the EPA, despite this being a requirement under the self-monitoring system in place in NSW.

In that story an EPA spokeswoman declined to say whether the dust posed a risk to human health.

Mr Scully has called on the EPA to be upfront with the residents of Port Kembla, who lived “on the doorstep of heavy industry” and who should be informed when any pollution incident takes place.

“I have written to the Minister for the Environment today requesting that the EPA, in association with NSW Health if necessary, publicly assure my community that there health has not been compromised because of this pollution incident,” Mr Scully said.

“If there has been a risk to health, there should be information made available immediately to the local community so they can access medical advice and services to minimise and treat any concerns that could be related to this pollution incident. 

“If there has not been, there is no reason why the regulator cannot just say so.”