NSW Greens MLC Ian Cohen has called for an immediate ban on shipping thousands of litres of Australian generated toxic waste, notably hexachlorobenzene (HCB), to Denmark.
'NSW Government's of both political persuasions have been well aware of the HCB storage at Botany. Coalition and ALP Government's have ignored the mountains of toxic waste capped under a car park at the Botany site. I highlighted the issue as far back as 1987 with a direct action campaign at the site.
“Allowing this industrial waste to leave Australian shores would pose an unacceptable risk to the environment" Mr Cohen said.
"There is an inherent danger in shipping highly toxic waste across vast oceanic distances. I am advised that one of the ships potentially involved in transporting the waste has failed several recent safety inspections. The consequences of a spill at sea would be catastrophic.
“The Commonwealth Government's own fact sheet states that exposure to HCB can harm the liver, immune and kidney systems. It is a known carcinogen and is toxic to young children, with exposure causing decreased infant survival rates.
“Danish public sentiment is so strongly against their country accepting our industrial waste that their unions have refused to unload the toxic waste when it arrives.
"Unless we stop this material being loaded it will head off on the high seas only to meet a ban on unloading in Europe. This means the waste will be offloaded at the first port willing to take it and there will be no guarantee that another country would have the appropriate facilities to process the waste.
“Orica needs to protect both the local and international community and be made to treat the waste at an appropriate Australian treatment facility. They created the waste and must be completely responsible for its safe disposal within Australia” Mr Cohen said.
No comments:
Post a Comment