ONLY IN KWINANA

The absolute madness of Deep Well Injection at Nufarm Ltd. Kwinana

Under license from the Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC) agricultural chemical manufacturer Nufarm Injects waste water containing:

Heavy Metals, Herbicides and Fungicides; Phenoxy compounds (Chlorophenols, 2,4-D, MCPA and Diacamba) 50 kg/year, Triazines (Altrazine, Prometryn, Simazine and Terbutryn) 20 kg/year, Ureas (Diuron and Fluometuron) 50 kg/year’ Olinate 10 kg/year, Trifluralin 30 kg/year, Anionic Surfacants 200 kg/year, total

Volume of wastewater licensed to be injected is:
8000 cubic metres/year from its herbicide manufacture process into a Deep Well Injection bore located at Kwinana approximately 1200 metres from Cockburn Sound.

The Deep Well injection bore was 1500 metres deep however after a leak was detected at ~ 217 metres depth in 1989 in which wastewater leaked into the ground ~ 200-300 metres of bore casing was removed.

Nufarm is the largest herbicide manufacturing company in Australia and in 2005 had at least 14 manufacturing facilities around the world.

In 2005/6 when the DEC and Kwinana Council once again approved this practice; Nufarm was experiencing record profits - $28.3 million net profit for the six months to January 31, 2005 – Nufarm expected an operating profit of $101 million for the full year, up 35 per cent on the previous year - and share prices were at the highest levels ever recorded.

Nufarm claims no economic alternative to deep well injection is available, the KPA is aware of alternative technologies but all technologies will come at a price – what is Nufarm willing to pay to treat its waste? – Deep well injection is the cheapest option as it costs nothing. Nufarm does not pay to dispose of its waste via deep well injection.

Nufarm has the only deep well injection bore in the state; the DOE and EPA have stated that they would not approve any other deep well injection.

WA is the only site in the world that Nufarm is allowed to inject its waste into deep well injection.

Deep Well Injection has been banned around the world, this is the only deep well injection allowed in Australia. The government’s policy is reflected in Environmental Protection Authority guidance statement 4 of March 2003, which states that no new deep-well injection proposals will be either considered or approved for Western Australia.

Our Local and State Government allow this practice to continue in Kwinana for one reason and one reason only – to protect the financial interests of this company.


Note:
This story is from 2005 but little has changed and the madness continues.
Steve worked for Nufarm at its joint venture Kwinana Chlor-Alkali Plant which is now wholly owned and operated by Coogee Chemicals.

Mum this one's for you!

Is it?

I have a dream

A dream of a political party that is serious about openely and honestly representing the people of this state. A political Party that truly cares about people and the future. A political party that resists greed and corruption. Is this dream a possible reality?

It seems most people I talk to about politics have lost faith in our political parties in WA. Polititians appear to be on the nose with most average folk more than ever before.

The Labour and Liberal parties may as well be on the same side. Minor parties like the Greens in my view have lost the plot and I fear too many people will vote independant.

So why not start a new political party? A party for the people. A party to represent communities not just big business. A party that is not full of arogant, self centred useless creatures. A party that cares. A party that will seriously address the major issues like hospitals, environment etc.

Basically all it takes is 500 odd members to kick it off.

What could we name this new political party? Labour for the Environment? WA Peoples Party?

Any thoughts or ideas?

Or should I just go back to into a slumber?

"A government, for protecting business only, is but a carcass, and soon falls by its own corruption and decay". - Amos Bronson Alcott

The Best of the Worst

After heading out late last night to get some pics of industry, I intended to create a picture post of this weeks best of the worst, but until I can get my camera to talk to the bloody computer or preferably obtain another camera - hint. This will have to do.

This weeks Best of the Worst

Air Pollution:

Winner: Wesfarmers CSBP for its ongoing particulate plume of ammonium nitrate.
Runner Up: Hismelt for its clouds of white entering the night sky.

Noise Pollution:

Winner: Wesfarmers Air Liquid'e for its ongoing breaches of the noise regulations.

Particulate Pollution in Kwinana

In 2000 while researching Kwinana pollution and excess of health problems I became concerned at the mounting evidence in medical research of Particulate Matter (PM) pollution. Many more medical studies over the last few years have linked PM to various health problems including those that are in excess in Kwinana.

Fine particles, a major threat to children – “Fine PM is a major threat to children, because of their higher exposure to PM compared to adults, the immature state of the lung in childhood and also of the immune function at birth. The first months of life might be a period of particular sensitivity. Although the mechanisms of air pollution effects have not yet been completely understood, pregnant women, infants and children need specific protection against exposure to fine particles”.

Air Pollution Triggers Blood Clots – “Tiny particles of air pollution -- less than one tenth the width of a human hair -- can trigger clotting in the blood, US researchers said on Thursday in a finding that helps explain how air pollution causes heart attacks and strokes”.

Stroke Risk Linked to Brief Exposure to High Levels of Air Pollution: New research shows high air pollution levels make people more susceptible to suffering a stroke. In previous research, air pollution levels have been connected to daily death rates for respiratory // problems and heart disease. But research on air pollution and stroke has been conflicting. Investigators from Kaohsiung Medical University in Taiwan conducted a study to compare air pollution levels and stroke hospital admissions.

Respiratory Specialists Bang the Drum About Soot's Dangers - "The science is clear," said John E. Heffner, M.D., president of the American Thoracic Society, which is based here. "People develop respiratory disorders and those with existing lung, heart, and other chronic diseases die prematurely because they are exposed to these microscopic pollutants at levels well below those set by the EPA."

THE DEADLIEST AIR POLLUTION ISN'T BEING REGULATED OR EVEN MEASURED – I have since 2001, been calling for the Government to place license limits, monitoring requirements on licenses, on Industries in Kwinana which emit PM2.5. So far these requests have fallen on deaf ears. Western Australia still has no standard for PM2.5. No Kwinana industry has licence emission limits for PM2.5. No Kwinana industry is required under its license to monitor for PM2.5.

To its Credit BP Kwinana in response to growing community concern installed a filter on it cat-cracker to reduce particulate matter and won various awards. I would like to know how many people got sick or died in Kwinana as a result of the excessive emissions from this source over the last 50 years?

Particulate matter in Kwinana is in my view still a problem with even industry acknowledging that because of lack of studying of PM in the Kwinana Airshed it does not know the impact of PM on the health of the Kwinana Community.

At the end of the day if you don't look for it, don't limit it and don't care about it you won't find a problem, but the problem may find you.

It seems it is a lot easier for Kwinana Industry, the Kwinana Council and the WA Government to deny there is a pollution problem and to blame (without evidence) lifestyle factors as the only cause of excess health problems including cardiovascular disease, respiratory disease and cancer in the Kwinana Community.

Oh the joy of fighting for justice in Kwinana

Well folk it’s Monday and already my week is fully booked with meetings every night with other community/environment groups both locally and as far away as Midland.

Because it once again seems the personal campaign against me may have begun… for example: Claims like Steve has no community support, the most Steve is seen to get at a meeting is 6 people etc.

We are calling for support for the following actions:

Something in the air documentary to go on tour, with public screening, guest speakers, discussion sessions etc.

Rallies, protests and public meetings.

Other direct actions, state, national and international support.

We may all soon learn how much support, not Steve, but the Kwinana Progress Association and Kwinana Watchdog Group have!

Remember the days of the incinerator protests, protest rallies outside the DEC Kwinana and Parliament House?

KPA-Greenpeace protest at Kwinana Council

Want a beautiful drive to work?

Or would you rather be protected from industrial pollution?

from the Sound Telegraph Clic on pic to enlarge

Kwinana Council want to spend $5 million beautifying the Kwinana Industrial Area.

Just think what $5 million could do for those Kwinana Residents affected by industrial pollution. Some of the things I can think of are:

1. A health study to find out why Kwinana has a “17.9% higher cancer rate Perth on average” and a 15.3% higher cancer rate than Australia by average”.

2. Fund the DEC in Kwinana so they can effectively regulate pollution from Kwinana Industry and maybe even enforce the noise regulations.

3. Fund noise protection measures, such as roller shutters, double glazing and wall insulation for residents affected by illegal levels of noise from Kwinana Industry (we have previously requested this by writing to Mark McGowan, Fran Logan and David Templeman but our letters were ignored).

4. Fund noise mitigation in the Kwinana Industrial Area.

And I could go on and on… But no dear readers our council obviously believe that if they make Kwinana Industry look beautiful there will no longer be a problem.

So the pollution problems must be a figment of our imaginations!

And I thought I had seen and heard it all.

It just doesn’t get any better does it.

Shame on our local and state Governments. Shame!