4 September
2006 - The Carpenter Government’s appalling disregard
for the health of Western Australians continues,
despite clear warnings that the Midland Brick
kilns in the Swan valley are pumping out hydrogen
fluoride at five times the acceptable level for
human health.
Reports at the weekend confirm
that Environment Minister Mark McGowan has now
given the Swan Valley kiln complex two years to
reduce its emissions to acceptable levels, after
previously promising the WA parliament on 29 June
this year that emissions levels would be cut within
the month.
“The Department of Environment
and Conservation (WA) will let Midland Brick cut
poisonous emissions limits gradually over two
years…Midland Brick and the Department [then]
negotiated how to reduce emissions, with the department
now conceding to let it (Midland Brick) cut them
back to a gram a second by 2008.”
(The West Australian, 2 September
2006)
This is a flagrant and frightening
disregard for the health of Western Australians
who live under the Swan Valley air shed.
What have Swan Valley residents ever done to Mr
McGowan or the Carpenter Government to deserve
such reprehensible lack of concern for their health?
This cavalier disregard for
the WA public is the latest bungled chapter in
a saga which began with the reckless decision
by Mr McGowan’s predecessor two years ago to allow
the Midland Brick kilns to operate with dangerous
levels of emissions.
Midland Brick should not be
given two years to slowly reduce its emissions.
I call on the Carpenter Government to direct the
brick manufacturer to seek ways to reduce emissions
immediately and bring an end to this sorry state
of affairs.
This is no laughing matter,
Hydrogen fluoride is a highly toxic compound which
can severely irritate and burn the eyes, irritate
and burn the skin, with long-term exposure resulting
in damage to liver and kidneys. It can also lead
to a variety of ailments including hypocalcaemia,
which can affect the nervous system, leading to
spasms of the larynx, cardiac arrhythmia, and
death.
Rob Broadfield
