Proof that Launceston air cannot take pulp mill

KIM BOOTH, Greens Pulp Mill spokesperson, www.tas.greens.org.au.

City Threatens To Breach Pollution Limit

The Tasmanian Greens today labelled Labor and Liberal support for the proposed Gunns pulp mill with its wood fired power station, as reckless and endangering public health, as particulate readings for Launceston from Tuesday July 7 showed the city may have exceeded the daily 50mg limit.

The Tamar Valley has a well documented inversion layer which acts like a blanket to trap pollution in the valley and particularly around Launceston.

Greens Pulp Mill spokesperson, and Member for Bass, Kim Booth MP said that the potential breach occurring despite a reported drop in wood heaters from 25 000 a decade ago to 5000 today showed that wood heaters were not the sole cause for concern and that background pollution levels had reached saturation point in the Tamar valley air shed as far as Launceston was concerned.

“On the government’s own figures eight people a year die from air-pollution related causes in Launceston and Tuesday’s unofficial figures show that Launceston is still exceeding pollution limits even with wood heaters being removed and without a pulp mill,” Mr Booth said. [1]

“Launceston’s air shed has reached saturation level as far as background pollution levels go so what sane person would back building the world’s biggest pulp mill and a huge wood fired power station at the mouth of the valley with the prevailing wind coming towards the city?”

“People have to remember that Gunns pulled out of the RPDC assessment and no site specific analysis was done on the pulp mill being located in the Tamar Valley.”

“The fast track parliamentary approval of the pulp mill didn’t take into account the long term health impact of the pulp mill being in the Tamar Valley, with its well documented inversion layer acting like a blanket to trap pollution in the valley and yet the government and Liberals still blindly support it.”

“Labor and Liberal both fully back this mill with no idea of the health impacts on the people of the Tamar Valley as no comprehensive data was ever produced which combined existing pollution levels from industry combined with projected pollution from the pulp mill with its chemical factory and wood fired power station burning 500 000 tonnes of green timber a year and 1 million tonnes of toxic dried black liquor.”

“The power station alone adds the equivalent of 50 000 wood heaters by my calculation but Premier Bartlett and Will Hodgman bury their heads in the sand whilst the health of residents hangs in the balance,” Mr Booth said.

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Please find below reference to the

[1] “…Assuming that the mortality rate increased by 1% per 10 μg/m3, there were approximately 8 deaths per year in Launceston attributable to PM10. Using the $2.5 million value per death, the health costs in Launceston due to PM10 are estimated to be $20 million per year.”

p23 Tasmanian Air Quality Strategy June 2006 Department of Tourism Arts and the Environment.