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Call for coal health study on Lithgow's alarming levels of sickness and death
Monday 07 June 2010
Responding to today's report that the massive coal industry expansion in the Lithgow region is causing a range of serious health problems for locals, Greens MP and mining spokesperson Lee Rhiannon has called for an EPA Office to be opened in Lithgow and for the proposed health study of coal affected communities in the Hunter to be extended to the western coalfields.
Sun Herald, pages 14-15 today.
"The Lithgow region has made a huge contribution to the economic growth of NSW and the whole country and it is time the government cleaned up the damaging aspects of the coal industry," Ms Rhiannon said.
"A priority of the Keneally government should be to open an office of the Environmental Protection Office in Lithgow that can monitor, investigate and where necessary prosecute those companies that break their operating rules.
"Successive governments have ignored the damaging industry practices that are putting the health of locals at risk.
"With 22 mines in the area breaching their pollution licences there can be no more excuses from the local MP Gerard Martin, the Environment Minister Frank Sartor or the Health Minister Carmel Tebbutt for this appalling situation.
"These 22 mines have breached their pollution licences 1267 times from 2000 to 2008.
"The rate of premature deaths, with many cancer-related, is almost a third greater than the state average.
"As in the Hunter local doctors are voicing their concerns. Dr Richard Stiles has said that it is legitimate to ask if the coal industry is contributing to the high rates of sickness and death in the Lithgow region.
"The NSW government should be fast tracking their response to this legitimate question.
"Coal companies barely get a slap on the wrist for pollution breaches and so they continue to re-offend. The Springvale colliery in Lidsdale, the state's worst offender, continues to breach its licence every year without so much as a fine.
"Local communities do not want to breathe coal dust, nor do they want arsenic, nickel, zinc and copper entering the water catchment.
"The Minister for the Environment Frank Sartor needs to recognise that mining communities now require full-time inspectors to monitor dust, noise, vibrations, water and air quality. The EPA has a big job to do and needs more resources," Ms Rhiannon said.
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