Demand a full study into the health impacts of coal mining and coal-fired power stations on residents and workers in the Upper Hunter.
Write to the NSW Government today.
If Premier Keneally doesn’t act it will be clear that the powerful coal and power industries are more important to this government than Hunter residents. Premier Kristina Keneally needs to do the right thing and commit funds to a comprehensive, independent health study.
Resident who have formed the Singleton Shire Healthy Environment Group have been calling for this study for many years now, with absolutely no interest from the government. Until this new health study is complete, the government should put a stop on approving new mines or extensions in our precious hunter region.
On 21 April 2010 the government failed to support a Greens motion calling for a comprehensive population health study to assess the impact of the coal and power industries in the Hunter as well as adequate air quality monitoring stations. read more
The government’s response to calls from Upper Hunter coal communities for comprehensive population study into the health impacts of the coal and power industries has been to establish an expert advisory panel on air pollution. This is a welcome move but poor air quality is just one issue of concern. The health implications of mining and coal-fired power stations for water quality, noise and vibration pollution and contamination of the food chain are also extremely worrying and worthy of further study.
ABC 4 Corners exposes the depth of community concern
4 Corners - A Dirty Business
On Monday 12 April 2010 ABC 4 Corners screened the program A Dirty Business.
Australia might be riding on the coal miner’s back but it seems many Australians are paying a terrible price for the mineral export boom. Reporter Andrew Fowler goes to the Hunter Valley in New South Wales to document a community in crisis.
Read the program transcript here. Read the online forum held after the progrm, which attracted strong interest and featured the reporter Andrew Fowler, Dr John Drinan, Dr Nick Higginbotham and Greens MP Lee Rhiannon.
