M5 East Portal Emissions
The M5 East tunnel is renowned for poor in-tunnel air quality. A 2003 NSW Health study found that pollutant exposure from a single trip through the tunnel was enough to trigger an asthma attack in sensitive individuals. Although inquiries into pollutant levels have found they are totally inadequate, The State Government continues to insist that air quality standards are being met by the tunnel. This is just an excuse for inaction.
The RTA has applied to the Department of Planning to modify the operating conditions for the M5 tunnel. The main change requested is to allow unfiltered portal emissions at ground level from both Bexley North and Arncliffe for 14 hours per day to help improve in-tunnel conditions.
Residents who live close to the portals have increasingly been reporting asthma and respiratory problems, which they link to the tunnel. It has since become clear that Minister Roozendaal ignored advice from NSW Health about the potential health risks to residents from unfiltered emissions.
The plan is budgeted at $50 million and has four main parts:
- Video cameras to track and fine smoky trucks to reduce emissions.
- Extra jet fans for better air flow control.
- Portal emissions to allow for extra fresh air into the tunnel.
- A ‘trial’ of filtration equipment at the west end of the west-bound tunnel to reduce ‘haze’.
The Problem
- The development is aimed solely at improving in-tunnel conditions for motorists without any concerns for nearby residents.
- Unfiltered portals release dangerous diesel particle emissions, which cause asthma and lung irritation, and are now known to trigger heart attacks and cause cancer.
- Rather than addressing the problem, Roozendaal has embarked upon a media campaign to clean up the image of the portal emissions by claiming this pollution is merely harmless ‘haze.’
- The trial filtration equipment is aimed at removing the perception of a problem by removing the visible ‘haze.’
- There is no guarantee that the trial filtration equipment will be kept in place after the one-year trial period.
- The government has previously announced trials of filtration technology but to date there has been no filtration equipment installed.
- The 2005 CSIRO study found:
- “Portal emissions have an impact on ground-level concentrations that is up to 50 times greater than if the same emissions occurred from the stack.”
- As NSW Health noted in a briefing note previously held secret by the Government, “any increase in particle exposure will result in an increase in health risk and there is no safe threshold level.”
- The RTA’s assessment of the risk to public health is considered by experts to be seriously flawed. CSIRO air quality scientist Peter Manins condemned the plan as the world’s worst environmental practise and called into question the reports on which the RTA are relying.
The Greens Solution:
- Emissions should only be directed upwards (through stacks) to help dispersal.
- Our transport policy states that The Greens are committed to “filtration of existing road tunnels and no new vehicle emissions from M5 East tunnel portals except in genuine emergencies”.
- The Greens were instrumental in releasing secret government documents on the health impacts of breathing air
