Southern
Beaches Conservation Society
Dump
the Toxic Dump
11 Gully Road Dodges
Ferry 7173
MEDIA
RELEASE
For
Immediate Release 18
Sept 2015
No Guarantees for Toxic
Waste Dumps
The Southern
Beaches Conservation Society Inc. (SBCS), shares the concerns recently voiced
publically by eminent environmental scientist Dr Chris Wilcox in reference to
any proposed C Cell at Copping carrying a significant risk of failure and
associated environmental harm.
The vast bulk of
the available scientific literature demonstrates that landfill liner systems,
such as the one proposed by Southern Waste Solutions (SWS), for the Copping C
Cell have a limited lifespan of well under 100 years. In reality there exists
only approximately 30 years of experience in the utilisation of such liner
systems in situ around the world and many examples within that timeframe of
failure of such systems, leading to the inevitable escape of toxic leachate
into the surrounding environment through groundwater networks.
‘Any suggestion
by SWS that such liner systems can be guaranteed to prevent the escape of toxic
leachate for many hundreds or thousands of years, is willfully misleading the
Tasmanian public on the available scientific evidence,’ said SBCS President
Shane Humpherys
SBCS also notes the
recent publicity around the lack of private investor funding for the
construction of the C Cell and the complete absence of any committed customers.
The former indicates the unacceptable financial risk the project represents
with potential environmental liabilities for many centuries to come, the latter
represents the fallacy that some have tried to create around vast swathes of
unmanaged hazardous waste sitting stockpiled all around the state.
The SBCS
maintains that what limited hazardous waste that does exist within the state
can, on a case by case basis, be diverted from landfill for treatment,
reprocessing and reuse. In the case of contaminated soil, in situ remediation
represents a vastly superior approach to landfill.
‘Furthermore, we
oppose the model whereby corporate entities can transfer their ongoing
hazardous waste liabilities to the ratepayers of the owner councils of a
municipal landfill,’ added Shane Humpherys.
Therefore, any
commitment by the state government to fund this landfill with taxpayers money
to the tune of many millions of dollars would be an irresponsible allocation of
funds especially in light of the desperate need for such monies by so many
other public sector organisation within the state, such as health and
education, parks and wildlife and biosecurity to name but a few.
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MEDIA
RELEASE ENDS –
