More Confusion

Again the public have been informed our water consumption has increased by almost 4 per cent each year since 2000, and is expected to climb another 40- 45 per cent by 2030 according to the Water Corporation.

It was finally admitted that demand was driven by mining and urban expansion, and would lead to a fresh water shortage, as WA contended with rainfall levels that have been dropping since the 1950's. The strategic planning manager commented that the annual water use has climbed more than half a trillion litres this century, in 2007-08 total state water use was 2426 billion litres compared with 1790 billion litres in 1999-2000. Yet we can't forget Water Corp's graphs from 2.1/2 years ago showing our rainfall hadn't altered since 1910, so which set are we to believe!

. So that leaves one asking, how good are the sustainability strategies government carries out each year, it always seems communities are told to cut back. Why is industry given a free reign, how many desalination plants or reclamation plants have they paid for. It was stated that Perth metropolitan area and the Pilbra would possible be hit the hardest by future shortages.

.With a growing population and an expected 15 per cent down turn in rainfall, meant urban areas could face a total annual shortfall of up to 75 billion litres. More mining in the Pilbra was likely to double water demand by 2030, Mr Hauck said it's not surprising we have a collective water crisis. Yet we still have water in dams that government prefer to pump out to sea than run through reverse osmosis and use in the metro dams.

Agree or disagree: Uranium.

Many discussions have been had in regard to the safety of uranium. It mostly ends in looking to the facts on leaks which there have been many, and if you can trust the government of the day not to cut corners particularly on storage. Its ended in agreeing to disagree.
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Just last week according to the "West" at the "Ranger" mine in Kakadu National Park it was reported it was leaking 100,000 litres of contaminated water every day. A scientist appointed to monitor the mine's environmental impact confirmed at a senate committee hearing, that approximately 100cum a day, the equivalent of 100,000 litres of contaminate were leaking from the mine's tailings dam, into rock fissures beneath Kakadu.
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More than 150 leaks, spills and licence breaches have occurred at the mine since it opened in 1981. Mine owner Energy Resources of Australia has been warned repeatedly about its management of the mine, with it being declared in 2004 that it was "complacent" about protecting workers and people near the mine. So is this another red flag being waved with little notice being taken, just the right noises been made without action? When does Duty of Care come into play ?

. Mining was originally to end late last year, now it seems there are plans to tunnel under floodplains from an open pit in a move than would extend mining till 2021. The ERA late last month was responsible for recovering the contaminated water that had washed downstream, later requesting more information about the leak.
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It's understood that they intend to extend their monitoring program in the vicinity of the tailings dam. The question the people should be asking "is this good enough, why haven't more stringent regulations been incorporated". Who is doing the monitoring at ERA or is it another episode of the wolf protecting the sheep?

Who's The Greenest?

There is now to be two inquires into emissions trading after the Greens and the opposition struck a deal to probe the government's climate change policies. The government has been under pressure from industry (no surprises there) and environmentalists to delay 2010 start date or to make changes to the proposed ETS.

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The White Paper released in December detailed a cap-and-trade scheme to meet 2020 emissions reduction target of 5-15 per cent, yet granting up to 90 per cent free pollution

permits for export industries and transitional compensation for electricity generators. The "Greens" have rejected calls from industry and the coalition to delay implementing the ETS.

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Many Australians chose to pay extra for renewable green electricity, now its said it won't make a difference. Under the proposed Carbon Pollution reduction scheme (sham) (CPRS) due to be introduced in Federal Parliament, voluntary action by consumers to purchase green power, would make it cheaper and easier for industries to pollute. So how can the People win, or do the right thing for the planet?

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Under the proposed scheme, Australia's biggest polluting businesses are required to achieve a certain emissions reductions target. Households buy accredited Green Power or domestic carbon offsets, which simply helps make it cheaper for business to achieve what they are required to do. We have been conned for the sake of industry which doesn't sit well, were trying to do the right thing at considerable cost which many can ill afford at this time.

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The CPRS undermines consumer choice . Carbon Pollution avoided as a result of VOLUNTARY consumer action should be counted as additional to the mandatory emissions reductions required of polluting industries. more than 878,000 households have chosen to pay more for renewable energy nation-wide. According to retailer Synergy approximately 7500 WA homes had signed up by last December, what a slap in the face.

BP Violations

19/2/09 : US BP Products North America has agreed to spend more than $161 million on pollution control, enhancing maintenance, monitoring and improved internal management practices to resolve Clean Air violations at its Texas City refinery. The company will also pay a $12 million civil penalty and spend $6 million on a supplemental project to reduce air pollution in Texas City.

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.The USA have whats known as a "Clean Air Act" which we believe should also be enforced in Australia. They have strict controls on Benzene and Benzene-containing wastes, generated during petroleum refining operations. The company is required to upgrade control equipment and processes used to handle these materials, and conduct in-depth audits to ensure compliance and minimise the amount the amount of benzene containing wastes generated at the refinery.
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It was estimated that these actions would reduce emissions of benzene and volatile organic compounds by approximately 6,000 pounds annually. Exposure to benzene , a hazardous air pollutant is known to cause a number of acute and chronic health effects. Including cancer, nerve and immunity impairment, adverse reproductive and developmental effects among others.

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BP failed to fulfill its obligations under US law, by placing air quality and public health at risk. What precautions have been put in place at Kwinana refinery, it would be no different regarding emissions. The petroleum companies have been making huge profits at the bouser, so where have they put back into the state. Who controls or monitors their emissions at Kwinana refinery,

or does our government place less emphasis on both air quality and public health?
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Where are the stringent measures, safety precautions or justice and accountability in our country? Or will it take a catastrophic explosion like happen in Texas in 2005 that killed 15 and injured more than 170 people.

Who's Next

There seems to be a mixed reaction to shipping lead carbonate from the Fremantle Port, yet others qualified in the field believe the proposal is a huge public health risk. It may have been assessed as low risk but where parties qualified to make this assessment. That being the case what happened in Esperance, why did the DEC officer refuse to check monitors because of fear for his own health?
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It's the belief of professionals that transporting any lead carbonate through a population-dense area it's still high risk. Lead as we know is a dangerous substance that causes long term damage to children also pregnant women.

.Magellan have not cleaned up their mess in the Port of Esperance, so why are they so anxious to pollute another area? In January there were 2 incidents, or rail accidents where large quantities of minerals were spilled into the environment. (What if it had been lead) Has any consideration been given to the effects on community or workers, if an accident were to happen in Fremantle, or do we wait for more birds to die before it's realised that a problem exists. Like shutting the gate after the horse has bolted.

.Why has the minister not yet set a limit on the amount of dust Magellan can emit in transit from Wiluna mine, despite the project gaining state government approval. Magellan will transport 150,000 tonnes of lead carbonate concentrate annually to Fremantle in double-laminated bags inside shipping containers. Even after the minister imposed 15 "stringent ministerial conditions" it was later revealed that Magellan had yet to complete all baseline sampling along the 800 km route, and was yet to come to an agreement with DEC on lead level standards.

.There will be 14 air monitors in total for the entire route, the company would not say how often monitoring would happen except it would be regular, with results made public. So who's reading the monitors and calling the shots? We believe the monitoring needs to be in "real time" so authorities can act quickly, if and when levels are breached. It's not hard to see that neither Barnett or Grylls live in areas to be effected.

Sanctuaries at a snails pace.

The Federal government has been urged to establish marine sanctuaries for WA, covering a large expanse of ocean. New research has found that a plethora of important marine life exists, nine out of the ten species off the coast between Kalbari and Euchla were found nowhere else in the world. http://south-west marine bio regional plan

.The region also had a number of globally significant "hot-spots" for marine life, including Perth Canyon which is one of only two feeding sites in Australian waters, for the critically endangered blue whale. The Houtman-Abrolhos Islands and Australia's biggest underwater mountain range, the Diamantina Fracture Zone.
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Despite the one million square kilometre region being "critically important to the economic development of the State and nation", less than one per cent is protected in any form from threats such as overfishing and climate change. I find it appalling that Nationally barely 4 per cent of Australia's 16 million square kilometres of ocean is protected as a marine sanctuary.
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Professor Meeuwig from UWA centre for Marine Futures, believes large marine sanctuaries are critical to maintain the health of the marine environment and to help fish stocks recover and secure the future of commercial and recreational fishing. Just what are government waiting for, why do we have to lose so much before the "Penny Drops" and the blame game starts. Of course the government are already aware that sanctuaries would boost the region's $3 billion
marine-based tourism industry, nothing changes everything is measured by the dollar.

The Study That's Not

Just how many times are communities expected to take being let down...Brookdale, Bellvue, Wagerup and Esperance to name just a few. We have been fighting for years to get answers as to what's in the Air, Water and Soil, the departments that are responsible for supplying this information will only supply false promises.

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Another study "Air Toxics" or as industry would prefer "Air Quality" looks to be falling by the way-side, due to financial cuts it will be another half hearted attempt at hood winking the public.

This make my blood boil, we have a right to know what the communities are being exposed to on a daily basis.

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The Kwinana strip generates approximately $18 billion a year, so what is going to the areas their pollution effects. Why is it such a chore for the DEC to carry out an Air Toxic's study, to monitor the pollutants that have caused great concern for residents from Cockburn to Rockingham. It would make sense to carry out a proper study on HAZARDOUS pollutants, particularly carcinogenic compounds supplying answers once and for all...or is government already aware?

It's time this so called government woke up to the fact they are care takers for the "PEOPLE"

we are fed up with their games. The only cuts that should be made are those to salaries of the

"claytons" politicians.