More Toxic Gas Released... Four More People Gassed
I some time ago, stated that it was pleasing that Tiwest seemed to be lifting its game in regards to gas releases and gassings...
I take it all back as it seems Tiwest Kwinana are once again out of control with numerous releases and gassings over recent months and this morning another 4 workers gassed then another uncontrolled release this afternoon.
It is believed that rather than stopping its gas releases Tiwest have been underestimating the levels of emissions so authorities are not alerted.
An example of how the levels of releases are classified are: 1 contained to area of initial release, 2 spread to surrounding area within the boundry of Tiwest, 3 release could or does extend outside boundry of Tiwest and could affect neighbors and must be reported to authorities.
It has also been alleged that Tiwest is treating gassed workers on site rather than sending them to external medical centres to avoid notification of gassings to Government authorities.
I believe the authorities know full well what is going on because they have been told by myself and others.
Today it has been stated that the authorities on the ground are being told to go softly on Tiwest.
Here is a blog post history on some of Tiwest's emissions.
The gasses in question are usually Chlorine (Cl2) and Titanium Tetrachloride (TiCl4).
The most frightening thing about Tiwest is they are currently expanding the plant which will significantly increase throughput and likely result in an increase in risk of emissions/releases/incidents.
Update 1: Tiwest had another incident this afternoon, bring the total to 9 gassed workers for the day.
Update 2: Numbering sequence of levels of releases corrected.
Hello all,
My apologies for the long delay in posting a blog, but due to personal issues I had to slow down, and will be intermittently out of action over the next few months but I am so pleased to see that so many of you still come back so often to check this blog even with the long absence between posts.
I have been working on how we also need to also change the way we do things to match the times and the hot issues. Some of the issues we have been working on and/or I will hopefully soon be blogging about are: Kwinana Town Council:
Kwinana Council mislead its ratepayers over the latest rate hike - rates increase was closer to THIRTY percent not five percent as stated by the council and reported in the local media.
Kwinana Golf Club (on land owned by Kwinana Council) Plan to destroy huge mature native Tuart Trees (Possibly hundreds of years old) to make way for an unnecessary fairway realignment. (This could turn similar to the Thornlie Tree Man case).
Kwinana Council set to build on Kwinana's Public Open space (Parks and Ovals), In particular Medina, something that we have been until now been successful in fighting for nearly 20 years, and ironically our Mayor was apparently involved in that fight as a member of the Kwinana Watchdog Group. Those leading that fight like my late Mother will be turning over in their graves at what is happening now. It seems divide and conquer tactics and greed could possibly be high on the agenda.
Whilst pleading poverty and claiming it couldn't maintain required community infrastructure Kwinana Council apparently invests and loses somewhere between 8 and 11 million dollars of ratepayers money, and yet Council still have not satisfactorily explained their actions or been held accountable. How can a poverty stricken Council invest $8-11 million when they can't carry out basic infrastructure needs and improvements and for numerous years in a row now have inflicted massive rates hikes on ratepayers.
Industry:
With the liberal government at the helm in WA its even more a case of what industry wants industry gets. Our government does not run this state big corporate industry does... This state is under corporate control. Daylight saving and extended shopping hours are a prime example of how government ignores the wishes of the people and does what industry wants.
This blog was apparently assessed by spooks to assess the level of threat to either Kwinana Industry, National Security or both? Who did the checking? Who hired the security company concerned? and who authorised it?
Water Corporation with, it seems the support of the states premium environmental organisation starts trials of injecting treated sewage into underground aquifers for future use as drinking water. I (and many others) strongly believe that with all the mining and related industry in Western Australia, which are major water users, it is totally unnecessary to take the risk of drinking treated sewage when there are more suitable ways of using that water and conserving our water. Current water treatment does not remove all drugs, chemicals and pathogens.
BP receives massive US fine for Texas Refinery explosion, inquiry exposed a multitude of issues including ways in which BP bought community/government/regulator support.
Poisoned BP workers get $100m payout . - This link also includes many other stories on safety/risk at BP refineries.
How major corporate industry in Kwinana (eg. BP) buys community, including community/environmental group support.
How BP allegedly used the threat of anti-terrorism laws in an attempt to silence a community member from asking questions on ongoing safety safety concerns of the BP Kwinana Refinery.
Safety of BP Refinery Kwinana still under question. As predicted another heat exchanger fails, luckily with no serious consequences this time.
BHP Billiton misleads the community with propaganda that claims visible pollution from its flash tank stacks is only steam/water vapour, but convieniently fails to mention Nickel and Ammonia along with many other pollutants.
BHP Billiton makes the wild claim that its Kwinana Nickel Refinery would have to shutdown in the event a planned extension of Mundijong Road went ahead behind its Baldivis liquid waste effluent ponds. If these ponds only ever contained storm water and not process liquors, like they should, there wouldn't be a problem.
Investigations are incomplete but it has been alleged that contamination of groundwater from BHPBilliton leaks has killed more trees in Baldivis.
We question BHPBilliton Kwinana over the need to pump its liquid waste to evaporation ponds in Baldivis instead of spending the money and installing an effluent treatment plant on the refinery site. Hundreds of ha of land around the Baldivis ponds and the lines to the ponds have been highly contaminated with heavy metals and ammonium sulphate etc from years of ongoing leaks.
It seems Fremantle Ports doesn't need Spin Doctors as some so called community/environmental group reps try and do that job for them. The toxic plume caused by dredging Fremantle Harbour causes more controversy so obviously not everyone has been got at.
The DEC (Department of Environmental Protection) suddenly (but as we expected them to) drop criminal negligence charges against Alcoa, and refuse to say why!
Erin Brockovich v Alcoa legal case continues.
Erin Brockovich's legal team investigates possible legal action against Cockburn Cement for alleged health complaints in the surrounding community.
Cockburn Cement plans to burn contaminated waste oil (they call it recycled oil) at its Munster Plant.
...and much more...
Its a real shame we don't seem to have any politicians showing an interest in these issues.
Interesting times ahead. Please stay tuned.
The Western Australian Government is currently reviewing its Genetically Modified Crops Free Areas Act. WA is the biggest source of non-GE canola in Australia and it is vitally important that the state remains GE free.How to take action? - make a submission to the review:
See the Greenpeace True Food Network website for more info and/or:A background paper is available from the Department of Agriculture and Food. Email gmcrops@agric.wa.gov.au, telephone (08) 9368 3327 or 9368 3530 or download from the Department’s website (www.agric.wa.gov.au/ under Hot Topics). Submissions should be no longer than 10 single-sided pages. A submission which is not legible or has a font size of less than 11 pt will not be considered. All submissions, including the name and address of the submitting person/organisation will be placed on the Department of Agriculture and Food’s website for public information. Submissions are required by close of business on 14 August 2009. Email submissions are preferred to the gmcropsreview@agric.wa.gov.au mailbox.
An interesting exercise...
A visual real-time simulation that displays the carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, birth rates, and death rates of every country in the world.
Breathing Earth Net
Nearly a year ago BHPbilliton killed about 14 native trees and caused other environmental damage when the Kwinana Nickel Refinery line to the Baldivis ponds ruptured.
Since then we have frequently asked BHP for a copy of the report on the incident. BHP simply ignored our requests until early June when I brought the issue up again at a EIP meeting, BHP then promised we would have an answer in writing by the end of June. Finally on 30th July I received a response in writing - trouble is that response doesn't really say a lot but it seems BHP is not going to release this report to us.
It is hard to swallow BHPbillitons claims in its company charter and as used in its public advertising:
"We have an overriding commitment to health, safety, environmental responsibility and sustainable development - To earn the trust of the community we must be forthright in our communications and consistently deliver on commitments - We are successful when the communities in which we operate value out citizenship".
The Kwinana Nickel Refinery has long operated as a secret service, even when it was previously owned by WMC I recall another refusal to release a report on the mass arsenic contamination in groundwater under the refinery, in the end the story of refusal to release the report hit the West Australian and the report was made public:
Just what does BHPbilliton have to hide?
What ever happened to 'community right to know?
It should be pointed out that the 240 plantiffs involved in the US lawsuit against Alcoa are not only people from Wagerup but also include some of those allegedly affected by Kwinana and Pinjarra Refineries.
I do not understand why this continues to be kept out of the public?
Maybe someone can elighten me?
