21 August 2019
Vales Point air pollution exceeds World Health Organisation pollution standards six times
Sulfur-dioxide levels in the air at Wyee on the Central Coast exceeded World Health Organization recommended levels six times in 2018, new analysis shows.
Daily average concentrations of SO2 in the suburb, which is about 1km from Vales Point coal power station, have climbed sharply over the past three years from one exceedance in 2016 to two in 2017 and six in 2018.
High SO2 levels pose serious health risks and are associated with low birthweight in newborns, respiratory disease and premature deaths.
The Australian standard for SO2 is 11 times weaker than the WHO recommendation. State and federal environment ministers are moving to tighten Australia’s SO2 specification but are still proposing a standard 2.5 times weaker than the WHO’s.
“People deserve to breathe clean air as a basic human right,” Nature Conservation Council Chief Executive Chris Gambian said.
“Our state and federal governments must strengthen air pollution standards to match the WHO and make the owners of coal power stations must clean up their act.
“Big businesses that run coal power plants like Vales Point have been dumping millions of tonnes of pollution into the air we breathe for years. This must stop.
“We are calling on the state and federal governments to strengthen pollution standards to bring them in line with world’s best practice.
Dr Ben Ewald spokesperson for Doctors for the Environment Australia said: ‘’Pollution from coal-fired power stations in NSW leads to large health burdens. Every year that coal-fired power stations keep polluting there are 279 premature deaths, 361 people develop diabetes, and 233 babies are born underweight.”
KEY POINTS:
- There were six days in 2018 in Wyee when the sulfur dioxide levels in the air breached the World Health Organisation guideline. [1]
- Australia’s SO2 standard is 11-times weaker than that recommended by the WHO.[2]
- 87% of sulfur dioxide in the NSW Greater Metropolitan Region comes from coal fired-power stations, two of which are on the shores of Lake Macquarie. [3]
- High SO2 levels are associated with low birthweight in newborns, respiratory disease and premature death. [4]
- Australia’s state and federal environment ministers are currently reviewing Australia’s SO2 standards but have proposed a new standard that is still 2.5 times weaker than the World Health Organisation guideline. [2]
- Sulfur dioxide emissions can be reduced by 96% by coal power stations installing pollution control devices called “Flue Gas Desulfurisation”. This technology is required in many countries, including the USA and Europe, but not in Australia. [5]
- The Wyee air quality monitoring station is operated by Delta, the owners of Vales Point Coal-Fired Power Station, a major emitter of SO2.
AUSTRALIAN VERSUS WHO STANDARDS
Here’s how the national standards compare with WHO’s.
REFERENCES:
[1] NCC analysis of Delta Electricity data, available on request
[2] Draft Variation to the National Environment Protection (Ambient Air Quality) Measure for sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide and ozone, Impact Statement, National Environment Protection Council, May 2019
[3] 2008 Calendar Year Air Emissions Inventory for the Greater Metropolitan Region in NSW Technical Report 1, table ES-10. https://www.epa.nsw.gov.au/your-environment/air/air-emissions-inventory/air-emissions-inventory-2008
[4] https://www.nature.org.au/media-releases/2018/02/concern-for-nsw-coal-communities-after-us-study-finds-coal-burning-power-stations-pose-risks-to-unborn-children/
[5] Toxic and Terminal, Environmental Justice Australia, 2018
Tags
Air pollution
Let others know about this issue