ber ▁industry ▁in ▁the ▁area . ▁S ot ico ▁was ▁a ▁subs idi ary ▁of ▁Wes f arm ers , ▁which ▁sold ▁the ▁company ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 4 . ▁ ▁Several ▁assess ments ▁have ▁been ▁made ▁regarding ▁the ▁environmental ▁impact ▁of ▁the ▁saw mill ▁and ▁associated ▁activities . ▁A ▁ 2 0 0 4 ▁assess ment ▁by ▁Wes f arm ers ▁showed ▁ar sen ic ▁cont am ination ▁in ▁and ▁surrounding ▁a ▁d rain age ▁channel ▁to ▁Le f roy ▁Brook . ▁The ▁W A ▁government ▁accepted ▁responsibility ▁for ▁the ▁issue , ▁as ▁State ▁S aw ▁M ills ▁used ▁ar sen ic ▁to ▁treat ▁tim ber ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 2 0 s . ▁Wes f arm ers ▁accepted ▁responsibility ▁for ▁ground water ▁and ▁soil ▁cont am ination ▁with ▁cre os ote , ▁and ▁the ▁clean - up ▁cost ▁was ▁shared ▁by ▁Wes f arm ers ▁and ▁the ▁State ▁government . ▁ ▁Dem ograph ics ▁ ▁The ▁rural ▁district ▁which ▁includes ▁Dean mill ▁had ▁ 4 0 5 ▁residents ▁as ▁of ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 6 ▁Census , ▁ 5 0 . 4 % ▁males ▁and ▁ 4 9 . 6 % ▁females . ▁The ▁median ▁age ▁of ▁persons ▁in ▁Dean mill ▁was ▁ 3 9 ▁years ▁old , ▁and ▁ 9 0 . 9 % ▁of ▁residents ▁were ▁Australian ▁citizens . ▁The ▁most ▁common ▁answers ▁for ▁occupation ▁included ▁labour ers ▁( 2 7 . 4 % ), ▁man agers ▁( 1 8 . 4 % ), ▁techn icians