This may be of interest...
>>> Dave Lane <> 6/04/2006 6:05:44 pm >>>
Media Release: for immediate use
Thursday April 6, 2006
The Greens say the Hattah-Nowingi toxic waste dump is a hazardous
solution for Victoria's hazardous waste problem
Jennifer Alden, the Greens Upper House candidate for Victoria's
Northern
Region says the Bracks Government needs to acknowledge the strength of
opposition to the proposed Hattah-Nowingi toxic waste dump and find
another solution to the storage of the state's hazardous waste.
"It's a bad idea. If the dump goes ahead, we will have trucks carrying
extremely dangerous material along 500 kms of highway through central
and north west Victoria," said Jennifer Alden. "The Calder is already
a
truck hazard. Add 10 loads of hazardous waste a day to it and we'll
set
off a time bomb for all road users and people living in towns along
the
highway."
"This is just another example of the Bracks Melbourne mind-set at
work.
The government sees a toxic waste dump at Hattah-Nowingi as an 'out of
sight and out of mind' solution. It's in a non-Labor electorate, a
long
way from the city," said Jennifer Alden.
There are a number of other good reasons why the area is not the place
to dump toxic waste:
- it's close to a prime agricultural area, where over 95% of
Australia's
dried grapes are produced,
- the location forms part of an important wildlife corridor between
the
Hattah Kulkyne National Park and the Murray Sunset National Park,
- it will make management of threatened bird species like the Mallee
fowl, Mallee Emu-wren and Black-eared Miner more difficult,
- the Hattah-Nowingi site is rated as being of the highest ecological
value.
"The National Party proposal for a gasification plant to deal with
toxic
waste would create even more problems" said Jennifer Alden " This is
old
technology that produces air and water pollution, plus heavy metal and
other residues. Too much water would be required and the possibility
of
dioxin emissions - the most poisonous cancer-causing toxin - remains."
"This waste disposal problem needs to be tackled at source. We must
put
in place requirements for industry to work towards clean production
and
take a cradle to grave responsibly for waste. In the meantime, the
Bracks government must agree to genuine consultation with communities
in
Victoria's north and north west, " said Jennifer Alden .
For more information, please contact:
Jennifer Alden (mob) 0427 430 233
Dave Lane (mob) 0419 156 213
-ends-
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