‘Lead exposure’ a horror story
A MOTHER who is suing mining m company Mount Isa Mines M for $5m has told of her shock sh at learning her young daughter’s da high lead levels rose ro even higher within three months. m
Sharnelle Seeto is claiming her he now 16-year-old daughter Bethany Be Sanders’ brain damage ag resulted from lead poisoning in from mine emissions while wh they lived in Mount Isa.
The lawsuit could prove to be a test case for a wider damages claim against the mine, now owned by Glencore.
Ms Seeto has told the Supreme Court civil trial of Bethany’s developmental delays since she took her children out of Mount Isa because of concerns about lead poisoning.
Ms Seeto, 48, moved to Mount Isa with two children, son Rhys and daughter Bethany, then 15 months old, in 2007, joining partner Michael
Sanders, who was working there.
Ms Seeto told the Supreme Court while they lived in a flat, about 3km from the mine, Bethany, still crawling, would play outside, putting dirt in her mouth. She said she was not concerned then because she was told it was good for kids to have a little bit of dirt in their system.
But Ms Seeto said she was unaware of any problems with lead in the Mount Isa soil at that time, or that children were particularly vulnerable to lead poisoning,
A month after the family moved into a house they bought in Mount Isa, Bethany was walking, around 20 months, but she was still living and playing in a dusty environment.
Bethany was tested for lead levels in her blood after Mr Sanders first read about the testing program in Mount Isa, at the end of September 2007.
After the test Ms Seeto was told Bethany had a high lead level of 15.3 micrograms of lead per decalitre in her blood system.
Ms Seeto was then told to make sure Bethany was not in contact with dirt, to wash her hands and food before she ate, to leave her shoes outside and wash her clothes and toys.
“I just became a bit more paranoid of what could happen if it went higher,” Ms Seeto said, outlining how she increased her cleaning and washing routine.
She said she was shocked when Bethany’s second test in December 2007 showed she had a lead level of 27.4 micrograms per decalitre.
Ms Seeto said she left Mount Isa with her children in early January 2008, leaving her partner behind, and moved in with her parents in Kippa-ring, Brisbane.
She said before they went to Mount Isa, Bethany could say simple words but after they left she didn’t want to talk anymore. She “disengaged” and was a lot more tired.
Tests in January 2008, showed Bethany’s lead levels went from 26.1 micrograms to 22, and in May 2009, she was diagnosed with severe anaemia.
Bethany was at a special school from 2009 until 2015, when she moved to a mainstream school. She was put in year 4, but was doing year 1 or 2 schoolwork and was bullied by other kids, Ms Seeto said.
Ms Seeto said Bethany was not fully toilet trained until she was six or seven, she was still in nappies until she was nine and did not eat on her own until she was six or seven.
She said Bethany, now in year 11, was still finding school really challenging.
When asked by counsel for the family, Gerard Mullins, if Bethany would go out in the community if she did not take her, Ms Seeto said “no”.
The civil trial is continuing.