Coal news and updates

Anger erupts as authorities advise relocation from smoke-hit Morwell

The elderly, young children, pregnant women and people with lung problems are being advised to leave the worst-affected area near the Hazelwood coal mine fire, in a major escalation of the crisis in Victoria’s Latrobe Valley.

The move comes amid growing alarm in Morwell over rising carbon monoxide levels, ash and smoke from a fire that’s been burning for almost three weeks.

Authorities are advising vulnerable residents in the southern part of Morwell to move temporarily, with the fire in the open-cut mine expected to continue to blanket Morwell in thick smoke and ash for at least another 10 days.

However angry locals heckled Victoria’s Chief Health Officer Rosemary Lester during her announcement, which she says follows consistently poor air quality in Morwell South.

Some residents demanded to know why the relocation advice was only being issued now and why it didn’t extend to the whole of Morwell.

“How about some truth instead of bullshit,’’ one man yelled at Dr Lester.

“We can’t sleep, we can’t go outside, we can’t breathe,’’ said one woman through tears.

“You can’t continue to allow this to happen.’’

Dr Lester admitted it was “unclear’’ what the medium effects of the smoke could be, but stressed it was only people over 65, children under five, pregnant women and people with pre-existing heart and lung conditions who should heed the advice to leave.

Fire authorities predict the blaze, which has been burning in an open-cut coal mine for almost three weeks, will continue to produce significant smoke and ash for at least another 10 days.

Dr Lester defended the timing of the relocation advice and said authorities were not yet seeing serious health effects from the smoke.

“The advice up until now has been appropriate for the length of exposure,’’ she said.

“Because we know now that the exposure is likely to continue we think now is the right time to increase the advice to temporary relocation.’’

An area of south Morwell, where 1500 people live, falls under the advice but will not be roadblocked and healthy people can remain.

“We know that continued exposure to the smoke increases the risk of bad health outcomes,’’ Dr Lester told reporters, adding the advice to temporarily relocate is a precautionary measure.

“This is not an evacuation. It is an advice for a temporary relocation until the air quality improves,’’ she said.

“This is precautionary advice for people in those groups to now think about relocating temporarily out of the area.’’

Dr Lester says she made the decision because the fire may not be extinguished in the near future and moving temporarily would be the best way for vulnerable people to avoid the continuing smoke.

The fire in a worked-out area of the Hazelwood open-cut mine has been burning since February 9, when a deliberately lit fire spotted into the mine.

Fire officials are still working out how to deal with the disaster amid concerns too much water on the fire could lead to a collapse at the mine.

The government was refusing to say today whether the cost of the disaster could rise to the hundreds of millions of dollars and feed through to higher power prices.

Deputy Premier Peter Ryan has flagged an inquiry into the nearly three-week old blaze.

The government has called on people with holiday homes to offer their accommodation to residents who want some respite. Morwell is about 130km east of Melbourne.

The fire will have been going for three weeks on Sunday and has been partially contained but has been an enormously difficult blaze to manage.

The biggest risk is rising levels of carbon monoxide, with fire officers wearing special monitors to ensure they do no suffer poisoning.

The biggest risk is rising levels of carbon monoxide, with fire officers wearing special monitors to ensure they do no suffer poisoning.

Source: The Australian