Coal dust and coal ash pollution continues to be a major concern for community health on the Central Coast. Until the problem is resolved, human dominoes will continue to fall.

7 August 2024

ALAN HAYES

 

ON THE CENTRAL COAST, each year alone, pollution from coal-fired power stations causes 153 premature deaths – more than half of the state's total. If the NSW government continues with its 'head in the sand' mentality, thousands more people will die from exposure to toxic coal pollution – falling like dominoes - before the state's five power stations close.

 

THE Central Coast has been fighting successive state governments for decades to address the problem of insidious cancers, respiratory ailment and premature deaths of residents living in the shadow of the Vales Point and Eraring power stations, but their cries of despair and pleas for help go unheeded.

 

Coal ash dumps near the two power stations  have contaminated groundwater, rivers, lakes and aquatic ecosystems and have caused toxic air pollution, a 2019 report says, blaming poor government regulation and management. Five years down the track, waterways and groundwater is still being polluted from leaching coal ash dams and fine air-borne coal dust particulates are still impacting exponentially on human health - a ticking time bomb that's killing people in the suburbs surrounding the two power stations.

 

Coal ash contains toxic heavy metals - including mercury, lead, arsenic, selenium and chromium - that have been linked to asthma, heart disease, cancer, respiratory diseases, nervous system damage and stroke. Local communities cite premature deaths, terminal illness, asthma and chronic health problems being experienced by residents are a result of power station air pollution and coal ash dams and calls for government to better regulate and monitor coal ash dams - to protect human health and prevent contamination of waterways - is ignored.

 

The state's coal ash problem continues to grow by 3.8 million tonnes each year; tantamount to seven tonnes of ash every minute.

 

The NSW Air Emissions Inventory estimates that coal-fired power stations contribute 87% of SO2 emissions and 52% of NO2 emissions, as well as 9% of direct PM2.5 emissions in the NSW Greater Metropolitan Region (GMR), which includes the Central Coast. Power stations also contribute to secondary sulphate particulate levels across the GMR. For example, power station SO2 produces close to 20% of PM2.5 at Richmond in Sydney’s north-west on an annual basis.

 

The most effective way to reduce the health impacts of power station air pollution is to clean up the source that causing it – regardless of regulations the power station polluters are not being forced to comply with clean air regulations.

 

There are a number of key actions the government can take to respond to the air pollution crisis and protect the health of the NSW community:

 

• The government must dramatically reduce airborne emissions from power stations until they are finally decommissioned.

 

• Most important, understand and inform the community of the full health impacts of exposure to airborne coal ash and coal dust pollution and how to best protect their health.

 

• Set strong stack emissions limits for coal-fired power stations in line with international standards, which will require operators to install continuous stack monitoring and best practice pollution controls. This will reduce toxic air pollution from power stations by more than 85% and improve health outcomes for the NSW community.

 

• Expand NSW air quality monitoring network to areas with particular risks to health from significant air pollution sources, such as at Lake Macquarie and Lithgow.

 

• Set strong health-based national air pollution standards to protect health, with an exposure reduction framework in place for continual improvement of the standards.

 

• Finalize the review of the Load-Based Licencing (LBL) Scheme, including a load-based licensing fee for the coarse and fine particle pollution emitted by coal mines and associated infrastructure.

 

• Commit to further research and policy development with regards to air pollution and the impacts on health.

 

These key requirements are not an unreasonable expectation from the State government – they are acutely aware of the impact the aging power stations pose to community health. So, why is the state government still allowing the 'Reaper' to keep banging on the door?

 

Let down by the EPA

 

Six years ago, the Hunter Community Environment Centre (HCEC) spent two years collecting water and sediment samples around the state's ash dams for its report on the coal ash problem. But time has elapsed, and despite the Upper House Inquiry, 'government heads' are buried even deeper into the sand, notwithstanding the amount of dangerous fine particulate pollution by Vales Point power station having increased by 3000 per cent.

 

Coal is a dirty fuel – emitting much more greenhouse gases than other source – which continually has health experts and community and environment groups calling on the Minns Government not to extend dirty coal-fired power stations, and for the NSW Government and its environment regulator the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) to listen to community and limit toxic pollution through all coal licenses in NSW. Yet the behemoths, the dinosaurs’ of a bygone era - teetering on the edge of extinction – have been given an extension of life by the government, in full knowledge of deathly community health problems.

 

This dinosauric-mentality will continue until such time as the health issues from coal dust and coal ash are taken seriously by our government of the day. In Europe, technology that has the ability to reduce pollution from coal-fired power stations by as much as 85 per cent, has been in use since the 1980s. In Australia long suffering communities living near ancient, polluting, coal-fired power stations have to put up with the NSW Government and its toothless EPA kowtowing to these coal-fired dinosaurs.

 

Community activist, Gary Blaschke OAN said, “It’s a joke. Here we have technology available that could clean up Delta Electricity’s Vales Point coal-fired power station and the EPA, with government support, is yet again contemplating extending its licence to pollute over and above NSW emission controls.

 

“All because the Czech billionaire owner wants more time to trial ways to reduce Vales Point’s massive NOx emissions that it has been poisoning the Central Coast with for over 50 years.

 

“Delta Electricity has had years to use the same catalytic reduction technology(1) that’s been available in Europe for decades to reduce Vales emissions. Now they want more time for more trials, with no deadline. To do what?

 

“The Government’s own Inquiry in 2021 was damming of NSW Health, NSW EPA and stated that the government had demonstrated a complete disregard towards the health of its citizens.

 

"Health Minister Ryan Park, Premier Chris Minns and Environment & Energy Minister Penny Sharpe should also take a look at the World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines on air pollution.(2)

 

“If the government and EPA don’t have the political intestinal fortitude to protect the health of its citizens and reject Delta’s request to extend Vales Point polluting licence and instead demand it either cleans up its act or shuts down, our Citizens Inquiry will

 

Environmental Justice Australia Lawyer, Isabella Farrell-Hallegraeff said, “The owners of coal power stations are posting profits, despite NSW power stations producing less power overall and being among the worst emitters of some of the most toxic pollution.

 

“Coal-fired power stations in NSW are pumping out some of the most toxic chemicals for our health – leading to serious health problems like cancer, respiratory illnesses and severe asthma.

 

“We know there is no safe level of air pollution and while coal-fired power stations continue to operate, the NSW Government and the EPA have a responsibility to protect the health of our community.

 

“We know that communities continue to tell the EPA that they’re sick and tired of toxic coal pollution and call for it to take proper action.”

 

Mike Campbell OAM, Central Coast Community Environment Network Executive Member and well-known for his involvement to stop coal mining beneath the Central Coast’s major water catchment district, said, “Now is the time to phase out polluting coal power and replace it with renewable energy that doesn’t harm human health or the climate.

 

“Our community has had enough of the asthma, the heart disease, the babies born with serious health conditions all related to air pollution from coal power stations.   

 

“We deserve better than to breathe toxic air and we're calling on the EPA to crack down on the big coal companies.“

 

A social licence

 

Amid the push for a cleaner, healthier environment there is no doubt that coal’s generation of environmental risks has galvanised increasing social upheaval. Yet within the communities, impacted by power stations, is the lack of a ‘social licence to operate’, bound up in the local employment quandary – a Catch22 of social division. But where do your draw the line? Communities are dealt an intriguing social dilemma: "Do you bite the hand that feeds you?"

 

The problem of local employment, by the polluters, is at the core of the inquiry into the impact of airborne coal dust and coal ash on human health being held by community group Future Sooner.

 

Future Sooner is a group of citizens living in the Central Coast and Lake Macquarie regions, who are concerned about the health effects of the air pollution from the coal-burning power stations in the area. Their upcoming inquiry will take a ‘blow torch’ to decades of successive government neglect and cover up of the damage done to health of Central Coast residents from coal-fired power stations.

 

But one of the issues Future Sooner face, is encouraging people currently working in the power stations, or who have retired from the power station industry, to come forward and tell their stories – fear of reprisal from confidentiality agreements keeps them bound to secrecy.

 

The Grapevine spoke to an ex-employee of the now demolished Lake Munmorah Power Station, who confirmed that confidentiality agreements were a condition of employment. The individual, who also worked at Eraring Power Station, said: "It was made extremely clear that you couldn't talk about what went on in the power station, even to your family, whilst employed or even after you were retired."

 

"The coal dust was so thick on the coal-loading floor, you couldn't even see the floor through the dust. Once the power stations were sold off by the government, there just wasn't any real maintenance - it was all about shareholder profits."

 

"Before privatisation, there was no tardiness in respect of maintenance - it was always done," he said.

 

Land at the former Lake Munmorah Power Station has been declared significantly contaminated by the Environment Protection Authority and will be cleaned-up. Part of the site is affected with petroleum hydrocarbon and PFAS pollution, which stems from the historical operation of the coal-fired power station and past use of fire-fighting foams containing PFAS.

 

Gary Blaschke, who is also the spokesperson for Future Sooner, said that people living on the Central Coast and Lake Macquarie have been “bombarded” with pollution from Eraring and Vales Point coal-fired power stations and their ash dams for decades.

 

“What comes out of coal-fired power stations is toxic,” he said.

 

“Future Sooner knows it, we have the facts.

 

“The Cancer Council knows it.

 

“Doctors, clinicians and health experts know it.

 

“ABS statistics, the government’s Coal Ash Inquiry and now the letter from the Health Minister proves it.

 

“The closer you live to a coal-fired power station and its ash dam, the more likely you are to have a chronic respiratory condition, asthma, even cancers and learning disabilities.

 

“I was told anecdotally that in one week eight children presented at Wyong Hospital with various cancers.

 

“Wyong Hospital is now getting a new cancer wing (because) there are so many cancer cases that local hospitals can’t cope.

 

“Budgewoi alone has head and neck cancer at 102 per cent above the national average.

 

“Health Minister Park has admitted coal-fired power stations like Eraring and Vales Point contribute to the suffering and even deaths of our residents and their children.”

 

So, why isn’t the NSW Clean Air Strategy working? The State government says that they are committed to supporting liveable communities, healthy environments and the NSW economy by reducing the adverse effects of air pollution on human health. Yet until strong measures are implement to reduce airborne coal dust and coal ash pollution, nothing will change – human dominoes will continue to fall.

 

To help force change, why not be part of the citizens inquiry and tell your story. You can remain anonymous if you wish – contact Gary Blaschke at futuresoonernsw@gmail.com or telephone 0424 890 455.

 

The Citizens Inquiry will held at Halekulani Bowling Club, Budgewoi – Sunday, 25 August 2024, from 1pm to 5pm.

 

Reference:

 

1. www.power-technology.com/features/feature47400/
   
   
2. www.who.int/news-room/feature-stories/detail/what-are-the-who-air-quality-guidelines
   
   

Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) can penetrate through the lungs and further enter the body through the blood stream, affecting all major organs. Exposure to PM2.5 can cause diseases both to our cardiovascular and respiratory system, provoking, for example stroke, lung cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). New research has also shown an association between prenatal exposure to high levels of air pollution and developmental delay at age three, as well as psychological and behavioural problems later on, including symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), anxiety and depression.

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