Cleanaway's Western Sydney Energy & Resource Recovery Centre

Health and well-being of the residents that reside are not being considered.

What are the results of the air quality reports?, what is the baseline air quality at the moment and what is it expected to be??

In the report is stated that “It is unlikely that emissions from the stack will exceed air quality standards because of the air pollution controls incorporated into the EfW process and facility design.”

What are these pollutions controls?
Can these controls fail?
What are the alternate controls / redundancies in the system if the pollution controls fail?

Surely there will be an increase of. Pollution to the quality of the air in the area, your reports do not mention the increase but only notes that it will not exceed European standards.

The public have a right to know how much more pollution that This facility will generate after construction.

I am a local resident and do not agree with this plant being built so close to our homes, we deserve the right to know what the expected levels of pollution will Increase to.

Cleanaway’s Western Sydney Energy & Resource Recovery Centre – I object to this.
I am extremely concerned about the potential impact of the proposed incinerator on local population health. The incinerator would greatly increase pollutants in the air as well as increase the level of pollutants in the environment, leading to contamination of food and drinking water. The proposed incinerator would therefore adversely impact on the local Prospect Reservoir which is a major catchment for Sydney’s drinking water. Air quality would also be affected by a number of pollutants from the incinerator, for example acid gases, dioxins and toxic metals. Dioxin is known to be a highly toxic compound which may cause cancer and neurological damage, and disrupt reproductive systems, thyroid systems, respiratory systems, etc. (Zafar, 2008). The Asthma Foundation NSW pointed out in their 2006 submission for the “Inquiry into and report on the health impacts of air pollution in the Sydney Basin” that air pollutants such as airborne particles, sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides and ozone are common triggers for asthma and contribute to increased hospitalisations and mortality for people with asthma. The location of the proposed incinerator is close to highly populated and expanding residential areas and therefore there would be a significant impact on the health of those residing in Western Sydney. Western Sydney is already well known as an area of poor air quality owing to the geography of the land, being at the base of the Blue Mountains with air pollutants collecting in this area. Therefore any further air pollution from an incinerator would be significant for the health of this local population. It is also worth noting that respiratory illness such as asthma is already prevalent in Western Sydney as a result of the poor air quality and therefore health costs to the population and the government would be exacerbated by the proposed incinerator.
As stated by Sharma et al (2013), incinerators release a wide variety of pollutants depending on the composition of the waste, which leads to health deterioration and environmental degradation. These significant pollutants emitted include particulate matter, metals, acid gases, oxides of nitrogen, and sulphur, as well as countless other substances of unknown toxicity. The process of waste incineration poses a significant threat to public health and the environment. The major impact on health is a higher incidence of cancer and respiratory symptoms. Other potential effects are congenital abnormalities, hormonal defects, and increase in sex ratio. The effect on the environment includes global warming, acidification, photochemical ozone or smog formation and human and animal toxicity. Thus, there is a need to develop and use more environmentally friendly technologies (Sharma et al, 2013).
In light of the UN summit for climate change I would have thought that Australia would be making more effort to investigate alternative options which have less environmental impacts to address its population needs. The Australian government should not permit the proposed development as it would adversely impact air quality, environment, health of the population, etc.

Sharma R, Sharma V, Sharma M, Sharma R (2013) The impact of incinerators on human health and environment. In Reviews on Environmental Health, 2013; 28(1):67-72. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23612530

Zafar, S (2008) NEGATIVE IMPACTS OF INCINERATION-BASED WASTE-TO-ENERGY TECHNOLOGY. In Alternative Energy News. http://www.alternative-energy-news.info/negative-impacts-waste-to-energy/

I oppose this project for the western suburbs. I don’t want myself or my family surrounded by toxins. We moved here 9 years ago and have enjoyed our neighbourhood. What’s the point of trying to add value to the area by creating Sydney Zoo and upgrade our roads in expectancy of the new airport just to introduce a system that brings such negativity and disgust along with it. It’s filthy poison which I can’t imagine anyone would want in their backyard.

How many times is the Planning Department going to torture us by allowing companies to constantly put in applications for a toxic incinerator. You know of the health and environmental risks. Stop all incinerator applications now

This is a disastrous project and the government considering it makes me hang my head in shame. We have gone through this process with the another project that was proposed by dial-a-dump 2 years ago and there was an outrage in the community and an outright rejection from everyone. It is hard to comprehend how another proposal is being considered in the same vicinity.
Burning rubbish in the close proximity of houses and schools is NOT good. Its not rocket science that burning something will emit smoke and if you burn hazardous materials it will emit hazardous smoke, Who will breathe it, people who live in Michinbury, St Clair, St Marys, Propect, Rooty Hill etc. I will not let my family go through this mess.
The project is called Waste to Energy but its essentially a large incinerator which burns waste products and the heat is used to generate electricity. If approved, it will
be the largest of its type in the world on completion, dwarfing similar facilities already in operation in Europe and the UK.
A study completed by George Thurston in November 2017 found that living near a waste to energy incinerator carries the same health risks as secondhand cigarette smoke. The increase in lung cancer from long-term exposure to fine particulate matter is roughly the same as the increase in lung cancer of a non-smoker who breathes massive smoke while living with a smoker, or about 20 % increase in lung cancer
risk. http://www.cbf.org/document-library/cbf-reports/thurston-wheelabratorhealth-impacts-2017.pdf

Sydney's Basin shape causes it to trap pollution. In summer cool overnight air drains off the mountains and moves towards the sea picking up air pollution. Morning sea
breezes then push it back over urban Sydney areas collecting more pollution and creating Sydney' smog. Imagine the addition of Incinerator emissions to this ?

I together with my family of 5 STRONGLY OBJECT to this project and it should never be built in Eastern Creek or any where else whis is close to other suburbs. Take it to the countryside away from everyone !

I object to the project

Submission attached

I suffer from asthma along with many people including children in Sydney. During the bushfires the air quality was soo bad I had to increase my medication to take corticosteroids in order to keep breathing and stay inside, which in turn affected my physical health. If these incinerators were to go ahead, this would create constant bad air quality in the Sydney Basin which is above acceptable levels.
a. A 2020 Study “The Health Impacts of Waste Incineration: A Systematic Review in Australia” states; A range of adverse health effects were identified, including significant associations with some neoplasia, congenital anomalies, infant deaths and miscarriage, but not for other diseases. Ingestion was the dominant exposure pathway for the public.
b. Sydney will have high levels of pollution if five incinerators go ahead. This current Harvard Study proves regions with high levels of air pollution are more likely to have a higher death rate from COVID 19 than less polluted areas. This current 2020 study is the first to look at the link between long-term exposure to fine particulate air pollution (which is known to be released from incinerators) (PM2.5) And COVID 19.
c. There is an increased risk of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) even from short-term exposure to low concentrations of fine particulate matter PM2.5, such as that produced by Incinerators. This current 2020 nationwide study in Japan, chosen for its superior monitoring, population density and relative air quality, is believed to be by far the largest of its kind. It provides comprehensive evidence of the relationship between PM2.5 and cardiac arrests, using a sample three times larger than all previous research combined and demonstrating the impacts on groups such as the elderly.
d. A study by Dr George D. Thurston of New York University School of Medicine in November 2017 found that living near a waste to energy incinerator carries the same health risks as second hand smoke. “The increase in lung cancer from long-term exposure to fine particulate matter is roughly the same as the increase in lung cancer of a non-smoker who breathes passive smoke while living with a smoker, or about 20 % increase in lung cancer risk”.
e. Waste-to-energy incineration is also a source of mercury emissions. The increased mercury levels have been recorded in fish living in the reservoirs for hydroelectricity. The adverse effects of mercury exposure on human health have been indicated in a number of studies, and there seems to be no ‘zero effect’ exposure level. As a result, the mitigation of mercury emissions is gaining more and more attention. The danger of mercury pollution drew widespread attention after the cause of the Minamata disease (Ekino et al., 2007) was identified as a severe case of mercury poisoning. Mercury compounds are generally more toxic than the compounds of other nonradioactive heavy elements (Pushie et al., 2014). Mercury can easily vaporise in combustion processes and be released into the atmosphere as mercury vapours. Moreover, combustion temperatures are usually high enough to decompose mercury compounds and release Hg0 vapour (metallic Mercury).
Elemental mercury has a very low solubility in water, which makes it challenging to remove elemental mercury by commonly used methods for flue-gas cleaning. Human exposure to metallic mercury takes place mostly by swallowing contaminated foods or drinks or breathing in mercury vapours. When ingested, only a very small amount of metallic mercury (less than 0.01% of the dose) is absorbed through the gastrointestinal tract (Da Broi et al., 2017). Inhaling of mercury vapours is much more dangerous as mercury enters the bloodstream through the lungs. The density of saturated mercury vapour strongly depends on the temperature. Charvat. P ‘et.al., 2020, ‘An overview of mercury emissions in the energy industry - A step to mercury footprint assessment’, Journal of Cleaner Production, ScienceDirect, Volume 267, No 122087
f. It has recently been reported that Ultra fine Particulates, which are emitted from Incinerators in high quantities - are associated with an increase in blood pressure in schoolchildren, with the smallest particles inducing the largest effect. Source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4492263/
Please do not go ahead with these incinerators, please locate them outside of Sydney were there is not a basin structure to contain the pollution.

I totally object to the proposed Cleanaway Incinerator! I live in the same LGA and do NOT want it to go ahead!
The Cleanaway incinerator will emit more C02 than coal and gas as well as dangerous emissions such as dioxins and furans that are cancer causing. This is in complete opposition to what Sydney a C40 city should be doing.
Incinerators and landfills are not the answer to waste management. New technology and innovation has provided alternative options that do not affect the public health or environment in the way incinerators and landfills do.

Below are 3 of 17 Health Effect Studies, plus some of the many Cleanaway EPA Violations:

1. Sydney will have high levels of pollution if five incinerators go ahead. This current Harvard Study proves regions with high levels of air pollution are more likely to have a higher death rate from COVID 19 than less polluted areas. This current 2020 study is the first to look at the link between long-term exposure to fine particulate air pollution (which is known to be released from incinerators) (PM2.5) And COVID 19.

2. There is an increased risk of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) even from short-term exposure to low concentrations of fine particulate matter PM2.5, such as that produced by Incinerators. This current 2020 nationwide study in Japan, chosen for its superior monitoring, population density and relative air quality, is believed to be by far the largest of its kind. It provides comprehensive evidence of the relationship between PM2.5 and cardiac arrests, using a sample three times larger than all previous research combined and demonstrating the impacts on groups such as the elderly.

3. Two large American studies confirm that Waste to Energy Incinerators increase particulates therefore increasing the risk to health. The studies proved that fine (PM2.5) particulate air pollution causes increases in all-cause mortality, cardiovascular mortality and mortality from lung cancer, after adjustment for other factors. A more recent, well-designed study of morbidity and mortality in postmenopausal women has confirmed this, showing a 76% increase in cardiovascular and 83% increase in cerebrovascular mortality in women exposed to higher levels of fine particulates. These fine particulates are primarily produced by combustion processes and are emitted in large quantities by incinerators.

Many studies, old and new, show that communities all around the world, living close to incinerators, even modern facilities, suffer higher rates of cancer and respiratory problems (e.g. http://tinyurl.com/y7dteo). The recently released Paris Appeal Memorandum, supported by the European Standing Committee of Doctors (representing 2 million doctors), urged a moratorium on building any new incinerators (www.artac.info/static.php?op=MemorandumParisAppeal.txt&npds=1).

Some EPA Violations

1. 16/11/2018 - Failed to comply with condition 330-155 of the environment authorisation 50320 in that you did not take all reasonable and practicable measures to prevent dust leaving the Premises. An EPA Authorised Officer recorded failure of site operatives to use the dust suppression hoses at the site whilst handling wastes with the onsite machinery. At the same time the under roof dust suppression misters were observed not to be operating. By failing to use the appropriate dust suppression controls you have caused or permitted dust to leave the Premises in contravention of condition 330-155.

2. 2008 - 2013 Transpacific (Cleanaway) are among companies in NZ which have been prosecuted for injuries including death- 2 convictions

3. 2 Dec 2012 to March 2013 (4 months) – 155 pollution reports made by residents to Kingston City Council. Two Notices of Contravention and one Penalty Infringement Notice ($6,000 penalty) were issued to Transpacific (Cleanaway) companies. Offensive odours and other licence breaches were detected either on-site or within residential areas. As a result, the sites are subject to ongoing monitoring by EPA and stakeholders including Kingston City Council to ensure day-to-day obligations of site management are met.

4. 1 April 2013 – VIC EPA Conviction of Transpacific (Cleanaway) for air pollution and licence breach

5. On 15 April 2013, Transpacific (Cleanaway) was convicted on 2 charges brought by VIC EPA for pollution of atmosphere and breach of licence.

6. Transpacific (Cleanaway) were fined $30,000 for illegally discharging Coal Seam Gas Wastewater, into the sewer system from its treatment site.

http://www.energyjustice.net/incineration/worsethancoal?fbclid=IwAR3gstma8zcdUqbhPbv6A-o7PGHxuZ4QhZFnoY3v3vCnxhMSPkfMgohPw6M

As a local resident and also working in the local area i am concerned by the toxic emissions from this project. Also i am concerned by Cleanaway's previous infringements with regard to correct handling of waste materials. I am strongly against the incinerator in my area and do not want to breathe in dirty emmissions.

In a time where there’s so many cleaner ways to make energy, this project is insane. We can make jobs in western Sydney using cleaner methods that are not toxic.
Western Sydney already cops so much over-development and reckless decisions where the community is not listened to.
Why not put an incinerator in Eastern Sydney or the North Shore instead?

You must be evil and have no sympathy if you approve these toxic monsters. You know that they affect the health and environment and you rejected the last applicant for these reasons. I am worried about the effect it will have on my child. Stop the production of all incinerators in Australia now

In my country they are removing these because of people developing cancers, breathing problems and other problems. Australia is a more advanced country yet are more primitive than my less developed country. Please don't poison your people

I am objecting to this Energy & Resource Recovery Project as it will be a detriment to everyone's health in and around this area. I personally am an Asthmatic and I have two grown up Children that are the same. There are numerous Schools both Public and Private with thousands of Children that will be effected by the pollution that will be created from this project. This is aside from the Old Age Retirement homes that are in the area. In an age where Climate is thought to be a critical factor in our future health and wellbeing this project should not be built in built up area, it should be relocated to where the effects from this project will be limited and contained. I cannot believe that the NSW State Government will allow such a project to go ahead.

Cleanaway & Macquarie Capital both have a history of operating outside the law. Both proponents have contravened environment protection legislation making their corporations an unfit person under the Act. Below lists some of their EPA violations. This is why our community has no faith in them building and operating an incinerator near our homes. Cleanaway (Over 35 EPA violations) and Macquarie Cleanaway can’t be trusted to keep our air quality clean.

Incinerators and landfills are not the answer to waste management. New technology and innovation has provided alternative options that do not affect the public health or environment in the way incinerators and landfills do:
Source Reduction. Researchers estimate that 70% of all current waste and emissions from industrial processes can be prevented at the source by using technically sound and financially profitable procedures. New Jersey mandates pollution prevention planning based on the tracking of materials throughout each industry. Ultimately, saving companies a total net sum of $105 million per year.
Recycling and Composting. An analysis of recycling potential (including composting) found that 72.8% of waste reclamation was possible. Recycling facilities produce more than twice the number of jobs provided by landfills and incinerators combined, as well as profitable for companies.
Other technologies that offer safer and cleaner methods exist. 45% of medical waste can be sterilized and reused through autoclaving, and the remaining materials can be treated and reduced through microwave disinfection and steam sterilization. Biomass and household waste can be handled through a process called thermal desorption and vitrification

Sources: http://www.energyanswers.com/our_company/mission_&_philosophy/index.php
http://www.epa.gov/oaqps001/combustion/

Dioxins Will Not Be Continuously Monitored at Cleanaway Incinerator
Cleanaway’ EIS shows that Dioxins will not be continuously monitored. Cleanaways EIS states “For those pollutants with levels so small that they are below any possible limits of detection and/or for which online measurement is not technically possible or sufficiently accurate, a periodic sampling and testing regime will instead be created” .

This monitoring system for Dioxin is not acceptable considering exposure to Dioxins causes cancer and bioaccumulates in the human body. Dioxins also infiltrate the food chain in beef, milk, chickens and eggs. Exposure to Dioxin and any addition of these persistent organic pollutants, however small, to the Sydney Basin airshed compromises our health, particularly our children. Source: https://ntrl.ntis.gov/NTRL/dashboard/searchResults.xhtml?searchQuery=PB86117983&starDB=GRAHIST
Failing to conduct Continuous Emissions Monitoring for dioxin means Cleanaway are not compliant with the new EU BREF
Cleanaway’s EIS (both the ARUP EIS doc and HRA) do not include continuous emissions monitoring (CEM) for dioxin. Despite ARUP and EnRiskS claims that they are abiding by the new EU standards, failing to conduct Continuous Emissions Monitoring for dioxin means they are not compliant with the new EU BREF.

I am objecting to this project for the following reasons.

Firstly I live within 800 metres of the proposed site. Both my husband and 4 year old son suffer with heart conditions and studies have shown that living near an incinerator increases the risk of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) even from short-term exposure. My children attend schools in the area and will subjected to dangerous air pollution.

I also object for the following reasons based on recent studies;

A 2020 Study “The Health Impacts of Waste Incineration: A Systematic Review in Austraia” states; A range of adverse health effects were identified, including significant associations with some neoplasia, congenital anomalies, infant deaths and miscarriage, but not for other diseases. Ingestion was the dominant exposure pathway for the public.

There is an increased risk of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) even from short-term exposure to low concentrations of fine particulate matter PM2.5, such as that produced by Incinerators. This current 2020 nationwide study in Japan, chosen for its superior monitoring, population density and relative air quality, is believed to be by far the largest of its kind. It provides comprehensive evidence of the relationship between PM2.5 and cardiac arrests, using a sample three times larger than all previous research combined and demonstrating the impacts on groups such as the elderly.

It has recently been reported that Ultra fine Particulates, which are emitted from Incinerators in high quantities - are associated with an increase in blood pressure in schoolchildren, with the smallest particles inducing the largest effect. Source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4492263/

I also do not trust Cleanaway to run a facility based on the history of there many violations and penalties, some of which I have listed below:

CLEANAWAY EPA VIOLATIONS
16/11/2018 - Failed to comply with condition 330-155 of the environment authorisation 50320 in that you did not take all reasonable and practicable measures to prevent dust leaving the Premises. An EPA Authorised Officer recorded failure of site operatives to use the dust suppression hoses at the site whilst handling wastes with the onsite machinery. At the same time the under roof dust suppression misters were observed not to be operating. By failing to use the appropriate dust suppression controls you have caused or permitted dust to leave the Premises in contravention of condition 330-155.

2008 - 2013 Transpacific (Cleanaway) are among companies in NZ which have been prosecuted for injuries including death- 2 convictions

2011 - Transpacific (Cleanaways old name) have a history of not protecting their workers’ health and safety. In 2011 Transpacific (Cleanaway) were fined $363,000 after a fatal accident in Perth breaching federal work health and safety laws. The penalty is the largest against an employer as a result of a single court proceeding by Comcare. It is also the first time multiple breaches of Commonwealth work health and safety laws have been found against an employer in regard to an ongoing risk to health and safety.

Finally I really hope someone in a position of power puts a stop to this, not only should an incinerator not be built in my local area, it should not be built anywhere in Australia!

Refer attachment

We do not need toxic fumes wafting all over the Blacktown, Rooty Hill and other close by suburbs , or the increase in truck traffic in the area , people objected to this installation when it was proposed before and that objection still holds , we are not a dumping area for what no other suburb wants .

I STRONGLY OBJECT to Cleanaway,s incinerator or any other incinerator for that matter, the things are dangerous for all concerned particles from these things go everywhere. In the air, water reservoirs, peoples lungs, babies lungs. Around the world people are trying to shut them down.
Do remember we are in a basin..... so the waste from it will stay in the basin. And the trucks going in and out. SCHOOLS,HOUSES,SENIORS HOME,CHILD CARE. None of them can look after what they have!!!!!!!!!!!