Duncan Meerding, Hobart

In a letter dated September 15 to the Wilderness Society (TWS), timber giant Gunns Ltd revealed that its original integrated impact statement (IIS) had underestimated, by a factor of 45, the dioxin emissions for its proposed pulp mill in the north of Tasmania.

The letter contained more than five pages of corrected tables, supplied by Gunns’ consultant Toxicos, and was delivered to TWS just six days before the close of submissions to the Resource, Planning and Development Commission.

Gunns’ IIS explained that the proposed mill on the Tamar River would use 26 billion litres of water per year and 30 billion litres of effluent would be pumped into the Bass Strait each year.

Gunns’ proposed mill will produce toxic emissions, including furanes and dioxins. “Dioxin is one of the most toxic compounds known to humankind. It causes negative health impacts in minute quantities and bio-accumulates through the food chain”, said Lee Bell of the National Toxics Network (NTN).

“When we saw the original dioxin emission levels in Gunns’ pulp mill effluent, we were extremely concerned about its impact on marine life ... Now that Gunns has admitted the dioxin releases will be 45 times higher, we are horrified by the potential impacts”, Bell said.

Australia is a signatory to a convention that obliges it to eliminate, where possible, or minimise dioxin emissions. The NTN said the proposed mill contradicts the convention.

TWS campaign coordinator Geoff Law said on September 19 that Gunns’ admission “does suggest that the IIS is fundamentally flawed ... and that the whole project requires greater scrutiny”.

On September 16, 8000 people joined a protest in Launceston against the mill. Gunns’ latest admission will undoubtedly fuel this opposition.

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