The South Australian Environment Protection Authority has made Ausmelt sign regulations to ensure that its old pig iron ore facility in Whyalla will release no dust emissions when it reopens.

Mr Brian Roderick from the Environment Protection Authority said that the material is similar to that at Zinifex's Port Pirie smelter, where dust emissions have been shown to reduce IQ levels in children. He added that "It is a fine dust and at Port Pirie the dust has been shown to contain soluble lead which has been shown to affect the children in Port Pirie. We were concerned about this so that we have put fairly stringent regulations upon Ausmelt that they release no dust."

Ausmelt wants to use the site to smelt zinc oxide from Zinifex's Tasmanian operations.