Anglesea Air Action, a group of residents opposed to the Victorian government’s plan to extend the lease for Alcoa’s Anglesea coalmine for 50 years, released the statement below on August 15.
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Anglesea Air Action criticise the state government’s renewal and extension of the Anglesea coalmine without releasing the Alcoa Health Risk Assessment which, it has been revealed, have been on their files for years.
Mike Lawrence of Anglesea Air Action said: “A request by Greg Barber MP (Greens, Victorian parliament), was made [under] Freedom of Information [laws] asking for documents relating to air emissions from the Anglesea power station. The request for the Anglesea Power Station Health Risk Assessment has been denied. Alcoa has publicly released its health risk assessments of its other Australian facilities on their website. We want to know why Anglesea is the exception.”
“The Anglesea community have a right to know what impacts the pollution might be having on their health,” said Dr. Jacinta Morahan. “We know that the inhalation of sulfur dioxide and particulates (fine dust) from coalmining is associated with increases in mortality due to respiratory causes, exacerbation of asthma, reduction in lung function and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.”
That our request for the Alcoa Health Risk Assessment was denied is contrary to the Alcoa Community Health and Wellbeing statement on the Alcoa website, which states: “Alcoa’s operations are safe for both employees and neighbouring communities and our values will not allow us to operate any other way … The health and safety of our employees, our communities and the environment are of paramount importance to us, and our value system ensures these are not compromised.”
The denial of the Alcoa Health Risk Assessment is also in stark contrast to the Alcoa International, Community Stakeholder Engagement statement, says Anglesea Air Action's Sonia Ivetac. The statement says the company is “Committed to Ongoing, Transparent Engagement”.
Alcoa’s international website claims: “We understand the importance of having transparent and regular dialogue with all of our stakeholders to ensure that we both understand their issues and concerns and provide them with information.”
Victorian Greens Leader Greg Barber took action on August 15 in Victorian parliament to end the secrecy surrounding health and environment impacts at the Alcoa coalmine and power station in Anglesea. He has given notice to parliament about a private member's bill that would remove Alcoa's special exemption from Freedom of Information laws. He has also moved a motion for the government to table in Parliament an Air Emissions Study & Human Health Risk assessment that was conducted for Alcoa in 2008, which has been denied to the public under its Freedom of Information exemption.