FED: Industry and greenies at loggerheads over pulp mill approval
05 Jan 2009 8:10 AM
Subject: FED: Industry and greenies at loggerheads over pulp mill approval FED: Industry and greenies at loggerheads over pulp mill approval
CANBERRA, Jan 5 AAP - Federal Environment Minister Peter Garrett must give timber giant Gunns the green light for its Tasmanian pulp mill without imposing extra environmental protections, the forest industry says.
Mr Garrett is expected to announce on Monday whether the government has approved the operating conditions for Gunns' $2.2 billion mill in the Tamar Valley.
But it is believed even if Mr Garrett gives the tick of approval to the company's environment impact management plan, the government could impose additional conditions regarding waste water to be pumped into Bass Strait.
The Forest Industries Association of Tasmania says that would be unfair.
"We believe it is incumbent upon the minister to make a clear and firm statement in support of the pulp mill that clearly gives a green light for construction to commence free of any further government-imposed encumbrances," association chief executive Terry Edwards told ABC Radio.
He said the 64,000 tonnes of effluent Gunns plans to pump into Bass Strait every day would be as clean as drinking water.
"The level of dioxins put down in the conditions for Gunns to comply with is less than the American drinking water guidelines for consumption by humans."
But that doesn't wash with the environmental group Wilderness Society.
Anti-pulp mill campaigner Paul Oosting said the environment minister should kill the mill once and for all.
"Peter Garrett is right to be concerned because Gunns is proposing to dump 64,000 tonnes of toxic pollution into Bass Strait every single day, endangering marine life and Tasmania's precious fishing industry," Mr Oosting told ABC Radio.
The Wilderness Society would sue the government if it gave Gunns another extension, he said.
Tasmanians Against the Pulp Mill's Bob McMahon says he expects the government will give Gunns the approval, but that didn't mean the mill would become a reality.
"Luckily there is a big world financial crunch at the moment which means Gunns can't raise the money," he told ABC Radio.
The northern Tasmanian project stalled last year when Gunn's main financial backer pulled out of the project.
AAP jcd/ldj/cdh =0A
FED: Industry and greenies at loggerheads over pulp mill approval