by Dee McLachlan
I have written before about the oceans in the Humanity in Crisis series (e.g., Humanity In Crisis, Part 8: Missing Shoals, and the Blob). Today’s snap article is about AGL wanting to locate a floating gas plant off Crib Point in the environmentally sensitive Western Port Bay, Victoria.
And if anyone wants to voice their objection, submissions have just closed, but I was told that it was also only closing Monday.
The ABC reports:
“Energy company AGL says its proposed floating gas plant off the Mornington Peninsula will not impact nearby internationally recognised wetlands and marine parks, despite discharging up to 180 Olympic swimming pools worth of chlorinated water every day into Western Port.”
It appears AGL’s floating gas plant will discharge up to 47 kilograms of chlorine per day — exceeding safe levels for marine life in a 5-hectare area. It is no wonder environmental groups fear species will be exposed to the toxic wastewater. Oh don’t worry, AGL says it will reduce the water it takes during peak fish spawning months. Wow!
“The findings are published in an 11,000-page report it has submitted to the Victorian Government to support its push for the plant at Crib Point… [and] The document, known as an Environmental Effects Statement (EES), says the chlorine will either evaporate or dilute and will not have any adverse impact on marine plants and wildlife further away from the facility.”
The environmental groups say their findings are based on “poor science”. Shannon Hurley, from the Victorian National Parks Association (VNPA), has stated that the chlorine would affect the whole ecosystem — which makes sense.
The EES attempts to portray Western Port as a busy, degraded port, where the additional effects of the gas import project will be insignificant (EES Technical Report B, pp. 211-213). That is just not the case.
Western Port is an internationally significant marine ecosystem and is listed under the Ramsar Convention as a wetland of international significance. The local population, regular visitors, and users have high conservation values and treasure this part of Victoria. And the local councils and shires are putting forward aggressive campaigns and extensive submissions to preserve the area.
But how extraordinary to claim that because it is allegedly already degraded, this gives the company license to further degrade the environment. Imagine having that attitude with your home or the food you eat.
Western Port is visited by the endangered Southern Right Whale during winter — and the south-east Southern Right Whale is genetically distinct from the population in south-west Australia. Its population is estimated at less than 300 individuals. And then there’s Western Port’s resident dolphin population (which has never been surveyed). I heard it was a unique and isolated This is a population that is isolated from ocean populations and therefore should be better protected
Yet again, it seems corporate interests override the fragility of the planet’s systems.
Submissions to https://engage.vic.gov.au/crib-point-IAC (Submissions are invited between 2 July and 26 August 2020.)
It may be too late to enter a submission. One could try. But voicing one’s objection tells the government that they need to start listening to the public.
Dear Dee, all readers of your article, where e’er they may be, should send a short statement to the electronic address, starting with “Please extend the filing date until now, so can comment as I have only just learned of the proposal.” [i think they will do so, there is probably a grace period already added in]
Gumshoers, please know that you are more than sufficiently equipped to speak. No expert knowledge is ever required for such submissions — they are required to listen to citizens and it is the numbers that can swing it. In fact if you can’t think of what to say just copy this model:
Dear IAC, This is an outrageous proposal and must not be entertained for a minute. Australia values nature and values beauty. It is easy for the proposers to say what can be gained (money, gas), but which of us can know what will be lost — to all future generations. Come on, put a stop to it now. It would be insane and wicked to go forward. [blah blah, Yours sincerely]
https://engage.vic.gov.au/crib-point-IAC
and you can let them know this would never happen in a Democratic state such as the DPRK …
https://www.wilderness.org.au/support
I have found that Wilderness Society mails me with a pre-written email and all I have to do is to add my name and maybe alter a few words and mail it off to the politician or government in question. The Society also follows up well with submitters.
Denigrators call this “slacktivism” But it is a very efficient fast method and likely raises the number of submissions received per environmental issue, compared to if submissions had to be sent using a paper letter and a postage stamp.
Apologies, this is off-topic,but all along the lines that our normal lives are being DISRUPTED: Whether it be corporates stepping in to disrupt communities, or possibly paid protestors (disruptors) that have no respect for society. Rand Paul and his wife’s narrow escape:
So what laws govern the public disclosure requirements & submission time-line of such a proposal ?
Personally, I’ve yet to see any government body stick to the Rules re any environmental issue
I’ve spent a bit of time around and on Westernport Bay and Corner Inlet and they are very tidal. The idea of putting all the polluting stuff at the Crib Point deep water harbour would be so that it should drain out to Bass Strait however this ignores the effect of incoming tides which will carry effluent back a long way over mudflats where it will probably collect in mangroves, seagrass etc due to the tidal nature of the back part of the bay. Companies can come up with better ways of doing things but can’t be bothered, it’s snouts in the trough, greediest pigs shove in first. We have recently seen the WHO is corrupt, the TGA (Therapeutic Goods) is corrupt or incompetent, Vic Govt corrupt &/or incompetent, why should the EPA be any different. In olden times you would just put someone’s head on a stick and that would fix things for a while. Not sure what to do about Denial Andrews these days. Psychiatric assessment?
Would every sentient being who owns a “device” please copy what dsw just said and make a submission out of it. Estimated time to do this : 5 minutes. Please.
Was not, the whole idea of allowing fracking, to provide Eastern states folks access to cheap gas ?
How did that work out ? Now we are again told, this will provide cheap gas again for the same people ? L.O.L. How many times do people need to be FOOLED before they wwake up to the realities ???
https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=33412
Gas Australia-wide should be cheap. We have an abundant supply, but Governments use it as a tax collection racket.
If the go ahead is given, I suppose, fracking will be the next venture, even though the public has spoken against such an idea. Also nuclear generation with its radiation dangers is being pushed by certain identities.
Great, radiation attacks from nuclear power houses and 5G. The “kill” by any means possible seems to be the program for the Central Bankers and the United Nations Organisation (One World Government).
When I converted a vehicle to gas in 1982, I was told that the Government would never tax gas as we have an abundance. Ha! ha! The Government “would never kill the golden goose”, would they?
Temporary means soon to be permanent
Never means soon to be temporary etc.
Temporary does mean temporary in terms of government departments eg the responsibility of the (temporary) department of … eg labour, environment etc (but note they don’t use the word temporary in this context)
So anyway they sold all the gas to China and now they are getting ready for the Chinese to unbuy it. Chinese will get from Kazakhstan or whatever.
(((They))) can do what they like while the majority choose to be afraid of a FAKE virus,
Yet more suspect technology !!!
Elton’s robot will drill a hole in your skull and superglue a battery powered chip (“Neuralink”) in there for a few $1000, attach your brain to the cloud. Probably going to become a fashion accessory for those who already have every other kind of implant
I can’t wait to get on “virtual smak”