O'Farrell to use Western Sydney as dumping ground
Posted: Friday, 17 February 2012 | By: Barbara Perry,Guy Zangari ,Paul Lynch
A letter from Barry O'Farrell has been tabled in Parliament proving he plans to reclassify radioactive waste from Hunters Hill as "non-hazardous" and send it to Kemps Creek – a blatant breach of his promise before the election.
A letter from Mr O'Farrell to the Mayor of Liverpool dated December 9, 2011 confirms:
"No hazardous radioactive material from Hunters Hill will be deposited at the Kemps Creek landfill facility … in the unlikely event that any hazardous material is detected, it will be separated and taken to a secure Office of Environment and Heritage Facility [Lidcombe]."
Paul Lynch, Member for Liverpool said: "Radioactive waste will still be sent to Kemps Creek. For the Premier to make a distinction between non-hazardous and hazardous waste is just slippery. If it's radioactive, it's radioactive – and residents don't want it.
"Exactly the same soil which Mulgoa MP Tanya Davies campaigned against being sent to Kemps Creek before the election will now be sent there – this time with her enthusiastic approval. It is just a stunning betrayal."
"This letter confirms the O'Farrell Government will always see Western Sydney as a dumping ground for the North Shore's radioactive waste."
Barbara Perry, Member for Auburn, noted that the Environment Minister had failed to provide her with a promised briefing. "The people of my electorate are still waiting for Robyn Parker to tell us how much radioactive waste will be dumped in Lidcombe," Ms Perry said.
"My questions about the Lidcombe facility's capacity for storing this waste remain unanswered. Robyn Parker needs to reassure our community that the facility has appropriate monitoring for radon, radionuclides in soil and water as well as gamma radiation."
Guy Zangari, Member for Fairfield, said: "In light of its chaotic management of the Orica leaks, the public has lost all trust in the O'Farrell Government to handle radioactive waste disposal."
A 2008 Parliamentary inquiry found around 5000 tonnes of soil at Hunters Hill were radioactive – some at levels exceeding 100 becquerels, enough to classify it as hazardous waste.
Dr Gavin Mudd of Monash University, a radiation specialist, said: "The Government must be transparent about how exactly the Hunters Hill waste will be transported and stored. Independent monitoring, over and above ANSTO oversight, is vital to ensure public confidence in the process.
"It is simply remarkable to me that Barry O'Farrell's concern about the levels of radioactive material at Hunters Hill seem to have vanished in a matter of months."
O'Farrell to use Western Sydney as dumping ground
Tags: Barry O'Farrell, environment, John Robertson, Kemps Creek, pollution, Western Sydney