Guy Van Cleave, M.S.
It was with great distress that I learned of plans to construct a pulp mill near the entrance of the Tamar River. North of my home in central California a so called environmentally friendly pulp mill has negatively affected the tourist appeal, property values, water and air quality, and fisheries of the entire bay. Under certain wind conditions the nearby town becomes uninhabitable. Don’t the people of the region realize the jewel they have in the Tamar River and its estuary? Certainly the long term health, beauty, and economic welfare of many is worth more than the short term economic gain of a few. How long will irreplaceable natural resources be sacrificed? The water issue alone is a no-brainer. It appears that Launceston and most of the country I have seen on this trip is water stressed. Don’t pulp mills require thousands of litres (which isn’t just used, it is converted to toxic effluent)?
19 February 2007
To the Editor:
This is my second trip to your lovely island. Five years ago I was captivated by the green countryside, the magnificent forests, the spectacular scenery of the national parks, the charm of Launceston, and the general environmental awareness of the populace; I knew I had to return.
It was with great distress that I learned of plans to construct a pulp mill near the entrance of the Tamar River. North of my home in central California a so called environmentally friendly pulp mill has negatively affected the tourist appeal, property values, water and air quality, and fisheries of the entire bay. Under certain wind conditions the nearby town becomes uninhabitable. Don’t the people of the region realize the jewel they have in the Tamar River and its estuary? Certainly the long term health, beauty, and economic welfare of many is worth more than the short term economic gain of a few. How long will irreplaceable natural resources be sacrificed? The water issue alone is a no-brainer. It appears that Launceston and most of the country I have seen on this trip is water stressed. Don’t pulp mills require thousands of litres (which isn’t just used, it is converted to toxic effluent)?
I am moved to write this letter because I want to visit again. As a global citizen I urge Tasmanians to take a close look at the mistakes we have made in California and other parts of the world. I can’t understand how under any circumstance this pulp mill would provide long term benefits to Tasmania.
Guy Van Cleave, M.S.
Professor of Biology
Columbia College
Sonora, CA
First, on Tasmanian Times: Mill: Finnish finance
