11/28/2016

Whycoalfiredpowerstationsneedtoshutonhealthgrounds

TheSenateinquirysreportintotheplannedclosureofcoalfiredpowerstationswillnodoubtshedlight
onthecompellinghealthreasonstoclosethem.
Coalfiredstationsareahealthhazardtotheirlocalcommunitiesandbeyondduetothepollutantsthey
emit.Theresultingillnessesareasignificantcosttohealthbudgets.Climatechangecausedbyburning
fossilfuelsbringsitsownhealthburdens.
A2009AustralianAcademyofTechnologicalSciencesandEngineeringreportputthehealthcostsof
coalfiredpowerstationsatA$13perMWhofelectricitygeneratedfromcoal(aboutA$2.6billionayear).
Climatechangeandotherenvironmentalcostswerenotincluded.
Pollutantsandhealth
Thethreemainpollutantsfromcoalfiredpowerstationsaresulphurdioxide,nitrogenoxidesandinvisible
particulatematter(knownasPM10orPM2.5).
Collectively,theyactasirritantsandcauseinflammationinthelungsleadingtoasthma,chroniclung
disease,andrestrictedlunggrowthinchildren.Thesmallparticles(PM2.5andsmaller)areassociated
withlungcancerandarealsoabsorbedthroughthelungsintothebloodstreamtocauseangina,heart
attacksandstrokes.
Researchestimatesthat24peopledieforeveryterawatthours(TWh)ofcoalburnt.Childrenareat
particularriskfromairpollutionbecausetheybreathemorefortheirbodyweightthanadults.
IntheHunterRegionofNewSouthWalestherearemanyopencutcoalminesandfouractivecoalfired
powerstations.Thesurroundingpopulationhasahigherincidenceoftheabovediseasesandhaslevels
ofillhealthandmortalitynotexperiencedelsewhere.AirpollutionfromHazelwoodinVictoria,tobe
closedin2017,causesabout18deathsayear,around1%ofannualmortalitiesinGippsland.
Pollutantlevelsemittedfromthechimneystacksofeachplantarereportedannuallyandarepublicly
availablefromtheNationalPollutantInventory.
Whilepollutionanditshealthhazardsaregreatestnearpowerplants,particulates,withattachedsulphur
dioxide,cantravel100kmormore.Thiscancontributetopollutionintownsandcities,asseen
inRichmond,tothewestofSydney.
Phasedclosuresforhealth
Forthereasonsabove,thephasedclosureofpowerstationsisurgent,andshouldoccuroverthenext
decade.
Ideally,theorderofclosureisbasedonintensityofbothcarbondioxideemissionsandairpollution,and
therateatwhichrenewableenergyisencouragedtoreplacetheplants.

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11/28/2016

Whycoalfiredpowerstationsneedtoshutonhealthgrounds

Onhealthgrounds,theorderforclosureshouldbe:YallournandLoyYanginVictoriaandforNewSouth
Wales,MtPiper,Liddell,Bayswater,EraringandValesPoint.TaronginQueensland,withhighlevelsofall
pollutants,alsoneedstocloseearly.
Governmentshavenotprovidedanyplansfornewjobsandindustries,forexampleinrenewableenergy,
tofacilitateclosures.So,nongovernmentorganisationshavesteppedin.
Medicalorganisation,DoctorsfortheEnvironmentAustralia,hasworkedforthepastfiveyearsonaplan
withacoalitionofcommunityorganisationsinPortAugusta,SouthAustralia.
Thathasincludedinforminglocalcommunitiesofhealthrisks,existingpollutionrelatedillness,andpoor
airquality,aswellasaplanfortransitionoftheiremploymentintoconcentratedsolarthermalrenewable
energy.
LocalcouncilandDoctorsfortheEnvironmentmembersdeliveredmoreeducationalmaterialovercoming
monthsandyears.
Publicisingairqualityreportshelpedthecommunitytounderstandthehazard.Suchinitiativeshelped
energisethecommunitytoworkforclosureofthestationandbringpressureforcleanairandnew
employmentopportunities.
Monitoringemissions
Therearenosafelevelsofairpollutants.So,themorestringenttheemissionguidelines,thegreaterthe
potentialpublichealthbenefit.
OursubmissiontotheSenateinquiryquestionswhetherhealthinterestswereparamountwhensetting
standardsforairquality.Forinstance,itisnotclearonhealthgroundswhyNewSouthWalesand
Queenslandimposedweakerpollutionguidelinesthanotherstates.
Monitoringshouldbesubjecttoindependentreview,betransparent,immediatelyavailableandconducted
bythestateEnvironmentalProtectionAuthorityratherthanpowerstationoperators.
Inourexperience,thereisalackofmonitoringbothairqualityandofhealthimpactsinexposed
communities,forexampleinLithgowandLakeMacquarieandclosetomanyotherpowerstations.
Thereforelocalcommunitiescannotadequatelyprotectvulnerablegroups,likepeoplewithasthma,by
recommendingreducedpollutionexposureonhighriskdays.
Manycommunitiesaroundpowerstationsareawareofthethreatofunemploymentfollowingclosureand
suppressthethoughtofillhealth.However,asinPortAugusta,theyneedtounderstandtheirhealthrisks,
andmostofall,riskstotheirchildren.
Experiencesuggestsstateandfederalgovernmentsneedtojoinwithcommunityorganisationsandthe
communityitselftodevelopaplanforfutureclosureofeachstationbasedonhealthgains,futureindustry
developmentandemployment.
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11/28/2016

Whycoalfiredpowerstationsneedtoshutonhealthgrounds

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