Clearing the Air – Why our State Government should rezone industrial area All Australians should have the right to breathe clean air, but that’s not currently the case. Noxious Industry too close to playground and homes? Our State government is responsible for air pollution regulation, but after watching this debacle, it’s fair to say theyve dropped the ball. ‘Some communities are much more affected than others, depending on how close they are to pollution sources. The serious health consequences from exposure to the different sources of air pollution are now well established. Buffer zone guideline recommendations between business and sensitive land use are imperfect and should be urgently amended to prevent further NOXIOUS industry being allowed in this industrial area near a childrens playground and homes. The Australian Medical Association has stated: “Current air quality standards in Australia lag behind international standards and have failed to keep pace with scientific evidence. Insufficient monitoring and poor compliance mechanisms, fragmentation between different sectors and tiers of government, and the lack of exposure targets are but some of the areas requiring review and reform.” Doctors for the Environment Australia summarise the health issues associated with air pollution as: “There is a vast international body of literature on the health impacts of air pollution... It reports a wide range of adverse health outcomes, including exacerbation of chronic respiratory and cardiovascular disease, and premature mortality. Air pollution worsens asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and can increase the risk of cardiac arrhythmia, heart attack, stroke and lung cancer, and hinders lung development. This translates to increases in emergency department presentations and hospital admissions, as well as deaths.” Pollutant impacts vary but there is a consensus that there is no ‘safe’ level of exposure for many of these pollutants and that there are harmful impacts from exposure at levels even below the current air quality standards. Air pollution affects everyone to some degree, however many Australians are worse off than others. This environmental injustice of unequal distribution of risks and impacts from polluting activity arises in two ways. Firstly, the risks and impacts of air pollution are unequally distributed geographically – affected communities are often the most socially and economically disadvantaged. Secondly, some individuals in our community are more vulnerable than others to the effects of air pollution, particularly the very young, and those who are elderly or vulnerable through pre-existing health problems. Source.envirojustice.org.au’
Posted on: Tue, 05 Aug 2014 01:36:31 +0000