Attention people of Launceston! Please draw your attention towards an increasingly hazardous situation evolving at Corra Lynn, one the local swimming holes, currently polluted with techno trash.
Travel 20 minutes up along the Noth Esk river from Launceston and you will find Corra Lynn gorge where you will find kids swinging off ropes and jumping off the rocks into the basin accessible from the Blessington Rd bridge.
This water is being polluted with discarded Computers and TVs thrown off the bridge, you can now see 20 to 30 smashed monitors and screens, ranging from the old cathode ray to new LG flat LCDs.
Having personally witnessed 2 monitors plummet into the water within an hour I don’t doubt at least the same amount of waste is submerged, threatening to surface and join swimmers while they bath and play.
This redundant entertainment equipment is being dumped into one of our favorite swimming holes and leaching toxins upstream to Launceston’s water catchment tributaries off the North Esk water supply.
Polluters fail to show the slightest consideration for the immediate negative impact, further their actions completely disregard long-term repercussions to the environment with metals accumulating in our water system, soil and air.
The chemicals and toxic heavy metals found in electronic components such as lead, mercury, arsenic and cadmium mixing in the water is not the only issue, glass and sharp bits of metal submerged pose a serious hazard to the next kid who launches himself of the rocks in that gorge.
This is an accident waiting to happen!
After a near miss with a falling screen thrown from the edge of the bridge and witnessing the silver stain of metals bubbling up and floating past I have decided to exit the water and act. This is not safe! I have appealed to the Launceston City Council, Inland Fisheries and the Environmental Protection Agency, but nothing has been done.
Although this would be an interesting forum to discuss the production of these “goods”, the mining of these heavy metals and in particular mining in the world heritage value Tarkine rainforest, I want to focus on this E-Waste. Are we going to clean up this pollution or is this just a glimpse of Tasmania’s Eco-Technic future?
Act Now.
Clean up Australia Day is on March 3; let’s clean up this mess and ensure that Tasmania does not become a techno dumping ground.
Jasmine Sammut Physiotherapist at the LGH
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Comments (7)
Jasmine thanks for bringing this to our attention.
You say you’ve appealed to the Launceston City Council, Inland Fisheries and the Environmental Protection Agency, but nothing has been done.
Jasmine you need to start knocking on media’s door & make this as public as possible because history teaches us that Tasmanian environmental regulators will continue to do nothing until they are embarrassed into acting.
Good luck.
Phone Tasmanian Minerals Council chief executive Terry Long to see if he gives a fuck.
It’s somewhat absurd to think that flat screens, relatively new in mass usage, are already being dumped as worthless rubbish.
We need to be designing products to last longer in the first place, and getting away from silly fashion trends (dare I say the word “iPhone”?).
Once you have less waste, it them becomes practical to recycle that which still exists.
This is absolutely appalling. How is it we have become so powerless to act against such acts of stupidity and vandalism.
I assume Jasmine that people dumping the screens arrived in a vehicle? Were you able to get the details of the vehicle and report them to the police?
Unfortunately this is another side-affect of poor education as well as the council raising tip fees without having an alternative for people to safely and resposibly leave electronic goods to be handled appropriately. The LCC has been dragging its feet for years on updating its waste handling and its just not good enough.
We need a cheap alternative for people to discard their unwanted electrical items and swift harsh punishment for those breaking the law.
I implore anyone who witnesses this kind of behaviour to demonstrate zero tolerance of this outrageous defiance of the law and lack of disregard for the environment and peoples safety.
Grab the nearest hefty tree branch or rock and threaten a citzens arrest or report to the authorities if you have to.
Chuckin’ rubbish into a river. That’s as low as it goes.
There’s a place in the gully we put kin we are ashamed of. They soon change their ways.
Most get better fast, some need more time.
If they go pale they get vittamins.
With all the toxic rubbish, don’t fight it, it will never stop.
Work with what you have. Go with the theme.
Howbout new ice-cream flavours for tourists?
“Try our Poysonberry, with a dash of Copping Topping.”
The last time I ventured to Remount Rd.,depositing ewaste was free so there’s no excuse for this blatant behaviour. The late Tip Shop may have helped here but I think council needs a few more committees to discuss a replacement shop.How long has it been since the Launceston Tip shop closed??? 3 years ? Talk about a bunch of under-achievers at Town Hall. Why would you want to be forced to vote if this is the best we can attract…Harry
The EPA has become another toothless department I have
raised issues with them recently with pictures and videos showing the
deliberate pollution from a Tamar Valley industry. The EPA have noted their
concerns but have told me in writing that the EPA, supported by the EPA
Division, is neither resourced, nor would it be efficient, to carry out ongoing
independent monitoring of environmentally relevant activities throughout the
State, of which the EPA currently regulates in excess of 400. Obviously there is a serious pollution problem in Tasmania if all these activities have to be monitored all at once. It wasn’t long ago that they were going to have wood heater monitors in the street at night for smoke pollution?