This weeks Best of the Worst

Goes to Fremantle Ports for the cement clinker dust emissions from the Kwinana Outer Harbour bulk cargo unloading facility.

Great clouds of grey cement clinker dust from the unloading facilities west of Hismelt on and off for the past 4 days or so.

Fremantle Ports unloads the cement clinker in Kwinana for BGC.

Here an example of a Material Safety Data Sheet for cement clinker dust.

We have requested the particulate monitoring results from Fremantle Ports.

Fremantle Ports also had this problem with white clinker in May 2008, but claim "the particulate emissions met the Kwinana EPP". See this story on how the Kwinana EPP is incapable of protecting against fine particulates.

What are the workers in this area exposed to?

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See this story on the health effects and concerns of

Fine Particulates in Kwinana.

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Update, Friday 25-07-08:

See the story as printed on the front page of our local paper here.

Are you and your family expendable?

Sadly it seems that depends on where you live.

As this story on Perthnow shows the EPA and Environment Minister Templeman recently approved the expansion of the Kalgoorlie Super Pit to within 200 metres of residents.

Like Kwinana Industry this Kalgoorlie industry has for many years been in breach of the noise limits and has not been held to account by the authorities for either noise or particulate pollution. As can be seen by this story on Perthnow, the effected community are largely Aboriginal.

Can you imagine what it would be like living 200 metres from this (ABC story)?

While acknowledging some of the risk such as Fine Particulates and Noise Mr. Templeman said “I realise the superpit is a bone of contention for some people in Kalgoorlie but it is also an extremely lucrative and iconic operation with huge benefits to the local and national economy, and the tourism industry”.

What our government may have well have said is ‘If an industrial operation is lucrative for the Government, you are your families do not matter –You Are Expendable for the benefit of the rest of the state’.

The health, safety, well being and amenity of these people is considered expendable by our state government.

Whatever happened to Environmental Justice? It simply does not exist in Western Australia.

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"The fight for justice against corruption is never easy. It never has been and never will be. It exacts a toll on our self, our families, our friends, and especially our children. In the end, I believe, as in my case, the price we pay is well worth holding on to our dignity". - Frank Serpico