Would you like to make this site your homepage? It's fast and easy...
Yes, Please make this my home page!
CSIRO Report Slams RTA air quality stack predictions
A damning CSIRO report on air quality modelling for the M5East stack has just been released, casting serious doubts on the stack and its effects on local residents and workers. The report commissioned by the Department of Urban Affairs and Planning concludes that stack emissions of Particulate Matter were underestimated and would be more than double what was expected. This means that exceedences of the air quality goals would occur, even with a 35 metre high stack.
Although Minister Scully recently attempted to play down the danger of Particulate Matter by calling it 'soot', this common pollutant was recently reconfirmed as highly dangerous in a study across 90 US cities carried out by the prestigious Johns Hopkins University School of Public Health. Increases in particulate matter (PM10) result directly in increases in death rates and hospital admissions. For some reason, in the New York City area, the increase in the death rate was twice as high as the average of the other cities studied.
The CSIRO report 'could not agree with the approach followed' by the RTA consultants in parts of the report. It also found that the unfiltered stack would need to have an effective height of 50 metres to be safe, and would need changes to operating conditions to achieve adequate dispersion of pollutants other than PM10.
In what will be a serious blow to the planned $1 billion developments at North Arncliffe, the CSIRO scientists predicted that the plume of pollution would strike tall buildings nearby and that building height restrictions would need to be considered. Buildings already proposed for this development will be far taller than the stack.
Other important findings were that;
- Future improvements in vehicle emissions would be less than the RTA estimate.
- NO2 emissions were probably overestimated and would not be as bad as expected.
- The modelling carried out by the RTA was not valid under conditions of calm winds or recirculation of pollutants by local winds, which occur up to 50 % of the total time.
- The use of the physical (wind tunnel) modelling to prove that the numerical model predictions are conservative estimates of real-world conditions with the M5 East stack operating is not justified.
RAPS spokesman, Mark Curran said: "This is the fourth set of figures we've had on the likely impact of the stack, and the most independent and rigorous study so far. The figures keep changing, but it is very clear that despite the RTA's spin doctoring, having an unfiltered stack dumping fumes from 70,000 vehicles a day into a valley will pose serious health risks for those living or working nearby, as well as be a blight on the landscape. The frustrating thing is that these risks are totally avoidable".
"After the recent RTA ventilation workshop, the facilitator claimed that international experts concluded "The M5 East design is expected to meet all Sydney's comparatively strict environmental performance requirements". This claim is not only unsupported by the transcript of the meeting but has now authoritatively been shown to be wrong".
This report just adds more fuel to residents' anger who vowed to protest every morning this week outside the Turrella Stack site. Angry and frustrated residents have been leaving their warm beds at 6.30 every morning this week to form a picket line at Turrella to prevent delivery trucks entering and leaving the construction site of the M5 East unfiltered stack. Most of them have never been involved in direct action before, but they feel driven to it because of the government's arrogance and indifference.
"What does it take for a government to admit it is making a huge mistake and putting the health and welfare of its citizens at risk? Apart from four years of sustained community opposition, and a damning Legislative Council inquiry, even the international experts handpicked by the RTA, condemned the design as peculiar, overcomplicated, wasteful and expensive to run! The Minister is now downplaying the dangers of the particulate matter that will be emitted from the stack, and overestimating the cost of filtration. However, as Professor Ray Kearney, Faculty of Medicine, Sydney University points out, there is clear evidence from the Health Department itself, that these particles present one of the greatest threats to health since the 19th Century. Now, the CSIRO study shows the particulate levels will be double what was estimated!" said Charles Briers.
"Instead of calling out the Tactical Response Group to forcibly remove mums, dads and grandparents, the government should be exercising its duty of care by protecting our health. We demand that electrostatic precipitators, which cost effectively remove 95% of the dangerous particles be fitted in immediately and the necessary design changes made to make sure the other less dangerous pollutants are dispersed".
"We have been reasonable for over three years and have exhausted all other channels. We're fed up with the buckpassing. The findings of the International Workshop and the Parliamentary Inquiry are being totally ignored. The RTA says it is governed by what DUAP (the Department of Urban Affairs and Planning) decides. DUAP tells us they're planning to approve a 35m unfiltered stack and that only Carl Scully can make any changes. The EPA claims the air quality goals will be met, but we know they don't take into account the long term or local impacts. The Health Department tells us not to worry, but the CSIRO has just come out saying that the unfiltered stack will cause exceedences, and that it needs to be 50m high to be safe. The government continues to play with people's lives, treating our communities with unbelievable contempt." commented Charles Briers.
They were joined by Marrickville Councillors, Sylvia Hale and Sam Byrnes: "We are prepared to come down to this site every morning until this issue is resolved. We're fed up with not being listened to."
Three police cars, with officers from the Tactical Response Group, five paddy wagons and around twelve police were called to the site where close to fifty people gathered. Filmed by Channels TV cameras, a dozen demonstrators were detained. Ric Rossi, a local resident, was angry and upset as he watched his wife being forcibly removed. "It is a disgrace that normal law abiding citizens are faced with no alternatives but direct action.
Demonstrators will meet at the site at 6.30 a.m. every morning and urge everyone to join them at Henderson St Turrella, next to Turrella station. A huge rally is planned for next Saturday morning, starting at 7am. "We had about 400 people last Saturday, we're aiming for 1000 this Saturday, 26th August. Enough is Enough! When you or your children can't breathe, nothing else matters!"
To download the CSRIO Report
Interviews with experts covering different technical and health aspects and affected residents can be arranged through .
Mark Curran 9558 8863
Giselle Mawer 9558 3943 or 0418 663 821
Charles Briers 0407 022242
