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Coal communities being kept in dark about dangers: Tim Flannery

Climate scientist wants the inquiry into the health effects of wind turbines to also look at mines and fires

Climate scientist Tim Flannery says communities living near coalmines are being kept in the dark about the dangers, and has called for the inquiry into the effects of wind turbines on health to also look at mines and fires.

Thousands of residents have been affected by the fire at the Hazelwood coalmine which has been burning for three weeks, sending smoke across the community of Morwell in Victoria.

Flannery, the former chief commissioner of the Climate Commission and now head of the Climate Council, has expressed concern for the health of people exposed to the smoke, and questioned whether enough preparation was done by mine operator GDF Suez.

The Abbott government has promised to commission “comprehensive” research into the possible health dangers of wind turbines.

“Coal fires are a notorious risk for coalmines. In North America whole towns have had to be relocated because of fires that have been uncontrollable,” Flannery said.

“In the US and Canada there are something like 55,000 deaths related to burning coal,” he said, citing a statement from the US organisation Physicians for Social Responsibility.

Doctors earlier this week warned of the danger to residents of Morwell from carcinogenic particulate pollution, which was found to be at levels up to 20 times the normal average.

Vulnerable groups of people in South Morwell were advised to temporarily relocate due to the danger of PM2.5 particle, but many residents expressed confusion about the dangers.

Flannery called for a government inquiry into all Australian mines and the risks to communities.

“Our government is doing an inquiry into the health impact of wind [turbines], but here we’ve got this risk with coal. If the federal government expanded their inquiry that would be good start,” he said.

“I’m worried that we don’t yet know what this coal fire means for the health of firefighters and the people of Morwell,” Flannery told representatives of the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation.

Flannery questioned whether GDF Suez was taking sufficient action to keep the community informed and said the fire highlighted the need for better preparation and inquiry into the state of mines around the country, and the risks they posed to nearby communities.

“Do the companies running these operations know the health risks? If they do, then they should share them. If not, then why not?” Flannery said in a statement.

“Other important questions have not been answered. Why did the fire take hold? Did GDF Suez properly clean up the mine site?

“The core of our concern is that this is a widespread risk that is unacknowledged in the community, but without data on other coalmines we’re just in the dark.”

GDF Suez said in a statement on 20 January that the fire, which began in a part of the mine not used for 30 years, is “one of the most serious fire situations ever confronted at the Morwell mine”, and rejected accusations that leftover infrastructure was not removed from the site.

On Wednesday the company also said rehabilitation work was carried out in 2007-08 in “a section of the northern batters … undertaken by truck and shovel, where some of the exposed coal faces in this area were covered with clay”.

GDF Suez said around 85% of the fire was now contained.

GDF Suez and the prime minister’s office were contacted for further comment.

Source: theguardian