Gunns' pulp mill impacts – Environment, heritage, economy and community threatened

Great Western Tiers, Tasmania. Photo: Rob Blakers

Gunns plans to build a chlorine dioxide bleaching pulp mill in Tasmania’s scenic Tamar Valley and continue to log Tasmania’s precious native forests. This will lead to the destruction of irreplaceable forests, pollute the air of the local community and pump billions of litres of toxic pollution into Bass Strait each year. The economic impacts of the mill will be dire, threatening the existence of businesses across Tasmania - especially in the Tamar Valley.

Our forests

Gunns recently announced that their proposed mill will be fed from the start by 100% plantation timber. This is a step in the right direction - but Gunns still have a deal with Forestry Tasmania to supply at least a million tonnes a year of native forest wood for the next 20 years. The overwhelming majority of these woodchips will come from native forests and can include rainforest species such as blackwood, myrtle and sassafras.2

It’s not just Gunns’ mill that could be heavily reliant on native forest logging. Gunns also plans to continue to export woodchips, even if their mill doesn’t end up using them.

Whether they are feeding their own pulp mill or those overseas, logging Tasmania’s native forests will threaten Tasmanian wildlife, biodiversity, water supplies and the globally significant stores of carbon stored in the forests.

There has been NO Federal or State Government assessment of the impact the logging of native forests to feed the mill would have on water catchments, biodiversity or climate change.

• More info: The pulp mill and the forests
  

Tasmanian family by the Tamar River, near Launceston. Photo: John McCausland

Our marine life and fisheries

Each day Gunns will dump 64,000 tonnes of toxic pollution into Bass Strait.⁵ This effluent will contain dioxins and furans—some of the deadliest substances known to science. These build up over time in the food chain, contaminating fish, shellfish, seals and other marine life. This could damage our export fishing industry, which relies on clean water and a clean reputation.

Experts—including the Tasmanian Government’s own consultant, Sweco Pic—have said that Gunns failed to carry out adequate baseline studies and modeling of the effluents.³ Oceanographers have warned that the effluent will frequently blow back to pollute the shore and the Tamar Estuary.⁴

Gunns’ proposed pulp mill is a long way from being world’s best practice.  It uses old-fashioned Elemental Chlorine Free bleaching technology, will release toxic emissions of dioxin, among other pollutants.¹ The best technology for pulping is totally chorine free.

As the name suggests, Totally Chlorine Free technology guarantees that no dioxins or other chlorinated compounds will be created or emitted through the production process.  These pollutants are a major concern for the marine environment of Tasmania and the local fishing industry.

Gunns have promised to keep the levels of toxic pollutants low, but according to Erik Nystrom, senior technical officer at the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency, it is still incredibly high.

A Totally Chlorine Free mill does not generate dioxins at all, and even a modern Elemental Chlorine Free mill should be able to release levels of dioxins so low that they can’t be detected.

Aboriginal culture and heritage

The Tasmanian Aboriginal Land and Sea Council (TALSC) and the Tasmanian Aboriginal Center (TAC) officially oppose the proposed pulp mill because of its impacts on Aboriginal culture and heritage. These impacts to important heritage sites will occur at the both the proposed pulp-mill site on the Tamar River and in the forests that will be logged to feed the mill.

The Tasmanian Aboriginal community also opposes the mill because of the impacts of the mill's effluent on the marine environment around the Bass Strait islands officially recognised as Aboriginal land. This includes toxic impacts on species traditionally hunted on and around the islands.

Our wildlife

Wedge-tailed Eagle. Photo: Ted Mead

Scientists have warned that planned logging in Tasmania’s north-east threatens unique wildlife with local extinction.⁶ These include the Tasmanian wedge-tailed eagle, the spotted-tail quoll and the giant freshwater crayfish.

• More info: WildCountry Tasmania

Our water

The pulp mill will consume 26 to 40 billion litres of fresh water each year.¹ This is almost as much as the combined use of all water users in Northern Tasmania.⁷ Research shows that plantations can reduce stream flow by over 50%.⁸ Meanwhile, north-east Tasmania can expect a forecast reduction in rainfall of 8% over 30 years due to climate change.⁹ This means that public water supply will be put under enormous pressure by Gunns’ pulp mill.

The air of the Tamar Valley

The pulp mill will stink. 'Fugitive emissions' of odour from hundreds of sources within the mill’s complex will drift to homes, businesses, farms and wineries in the vicinity of the mill.¹⁰ The Australian Medical Association (Tasmanian branch) says the pulp mill 'could cause an increase in the already existing morbidity and mortality from atmospheric pollutants'.¹¹ The pollution from the mill will also threaten the viability of local vineyards, farms and tourism.

Our economy

Independent economists have warned that the pulp mill could cost Tasmania’s economy up to $3.3 billion.13 An economic report, commissioned by the Tasmanian Roundtable for Sustainable Industries (TRSI), found that the pulp mill will cost some 1,220 jobs -  with 1,044 jobs lost from the tourism industry and at least 175 jobs from local fishing businesses. On the flip side, a government-sponsored study, carried out by ITS Global consultants, found 280 jobs would be created at the mill - a deficit of 940 on the status quo.

• More info:Pulp mill financially unviable

Stop the proposed pulp mill

• How you can help stop the pulp mill! >>

References:

1. Gunns Ltd, Bell Bay Pulp Mill, Draft Integrated Impact Statement
2. http://www.forestrytas.com.au/forest-management/wood-supply-agreements    
3. Assessment of the Gunns Limited Bell Bay Pulp Mill against the Environmental Emission Limit Guidelines, Sweco Pic, June 2007; Miotti Consulting Peer Review of Sweco Pic Report
4. Dr Stuart Godfrey http://www.cleantamar.com.au/pulp_mill_press_release.html
5. Gunns’ referral under the EPBC Act, April 2007
6. University of Melbourne and Forestry Tasmania 2003; Bekessy transcripts, Wielangta court case 2006
7. Annual Reports, Esk Water and Cradle Coast Water
8. Trading water for carbon with biological carbon sequestration, Jackson et al. 23 December 2005 Vol 310 Science.
9. Tasmanian Government Draft Climate Change Strategy 2006
10. Dr Warwick Raverty
11. Australian Medical Association Tasmania, position statements, http://www.amatas.com.au/issues/
12. Trees—the Forgotten Solution to Climate Change, The Wilderness Society 2006
13. Business Round Table for Economic Sustainability, www.lec.org.au