BY EL FITCHETT
The Lake Macquarie community is calling on the NSW Environmental Protection Authority to reject a new emissions exemption for the Vales Point power station, and bring it back in line with state standards.
The power station, owned by Delta Electricity, emits almost double the New South Wales emissions limit.
Vales Point holds a 10 year exemption under the Clean Air Act, which allows it to exceed emission limits for nitrogen oxide small particles and sulphur dioxide. The exemption is due to expire at the end of 2020, and Delta Electricity would need to lodge a new application before the end of the year to continue producing at current levels.
Local community group Future Sooner is concerned about the effect of the power station on health in Lake Macquarie, and is lobbying the NSW EPA to oppose any new applications.
"Up to 6 per cent of the children with asthma aged two to 14 living on the Central Coast and Lake Macquarie, have asthma that can be linked to toxic air pollution spewing out of local coal-burning power stations," Future Sooner spokesperson Will Belford said.
Estimates by the University of Newcastle's Dr. Ben Ewald show 320 children in Lake Macquarie have asthma due to nitrogen exposure from power stations.
"We've accepted for years that this is the cost of doing business and producing electricity, but there's a growing dissatisfaction with the toll we have to pay in terms of health," Mr. Belford said.
Future Sooner wants the EPA to impose changes on Delta Electricity to reduce pollution to best practice levels by refusing to grant a new five year exemption.
"If the EPA don't grant the license then Delta Electricity have got to reduce the output from 1500 milligrams to 800, which would require some kind of technical solution in the power station," Mr. Belford said.
The Federal Government announced in it's October Budget $8.7 million in funding for upgrades at the power station aimed at reducing emissions, improving reliability, and providing an additional 30 mega watts of dispatchable energy to the market.
However, Mr. Belford thinks that's unlikely, given Vales Point is due to be decommissioned in 2028.
"They wont particularly want to make investments in reducing the pollution at this point, but that's an assumption, we don't know whether it's definitely going to close in 8 years or not," he said.
Despite uncertainty around the future of Vales Point, Future Sooner believes the NSW EPA has a rare opportunity to ensure clean air across the Hunter.
"They have an opportunity here to show some good faith, demonstrate best practice, and make sure that in the last 8 years of operation this station it's polluting at acceptable levels," Mr. Belford said.
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| Vales Point Power Station Image Wikipedia |
