Mr McGrady questions our work not on matters of fact, but because part of the costs associated with the collection of soil samples in 2008 were met by Slater and Gordon Ltd.

The lead and other soil metal concentration results from these samples were published in the international journal of Applied Geochemistry in 2010, with appropriate acknowledgment of Slater and Gordon's funding support.

Importantly, with respect to our new 2013 international peer reviewed Environmental Pollution study, Slater and Gordon Ltd did not pay for the pivotal lead isotopic fingerprinting analyses.

These analyses showed that the source of cause of the environmental lead in Mount Isa's urban area comes from the mine's operations and not from natural sources in the city.

All of the 17 peer reviewed environmental studies that we have completed on Mount Isa since 2005 have been funded (cash and in kind) via different sources.

These sources include Macquarie University (NSW), Birkbeck College - University of London, Charles Darwin University (NT), Curtin University (WA), The Royal Geographic Society (UK), Mount Isa Water Board and Slater and Gordon Ltd.

In addition, like my research completed at Port Pirie and other similarly impacted industrial locations, I used some of my own private funds to help pay for the research costs.

I sent our 2013 Environmental Pollution Mount Isa study to the Mount Isa Mayor, Xstrata Mount Isa Mines and Natural Resources and Mines Minister Andrew Cripps on Monday, June 17, the day it was released. In my email, I offered to present in person, or at a public forum in Mount Isa, the facts arising from our studies.

Should they take up my offer, I will be paying for any related costs out of my own funds.

Professor Mark P. Taylor Professor of Environmental Science Macquarie University