State laws fail communities on toxic leaks

Saturday, 11 August 2007 02:26

“Despite objections from environmental and local government groups, the Carr Government   transferred key state pollution controls to local government on the grounds of saving money.  It has now been revealed that Mona Vale residents in an area surrounding the Unomedical sterilizing plant have unwittingly been exposed to  the release of the carcinogen Ethylene Oxide, at levels up to 100 times over the limit considered safe by NSW Health, for over ten years. The plant only received local government assessment,” said Jeff Angel, Director of TEC.

“Planning law changes also meant that additional works at the plant were regarded as
‘ancillary’ and not requiring serious review.  This situation demonstrates that changes to State level oversight of industrial emissions and planning approval can lead to serious gaps in regulatory control.”

“The development approval for the Unomedical plant has, in effect, allowed the toxic release of the equivalent of 50 kilograms of the carcinogen Ethylene Oxide each day without any filtration. Similar operations both in NSW and overseas have adopted world standard best practice in treatment of stack emissions to achieve what are considered safe ambient air levels.”

Ethylene Oxide emitting industry is not required to be licensed with the Department of Environment and Climate Change under the State’s pollution legislation, the Protection of the Environment Operations Act.

“This dangerous and unregulated release of a known carcinogen into the community raises wider concerns about the number of other communities potentially exposed to health hazards due to lack of regulatory control of polluting industries”, Mr Angel said.