Ocean dumping slammed

Wednesday, February 16, 1994 - 11:00

Ocean dumping slammed

By Stephen Bull

HOBART — About 100 people gathered outside federal Labor minister Duncan Kerr's office at lunchtime on February 11 to protest the against latest exemption granted to Pasminco Metals-EZ, which allows the company to dump the waste product jarosite at sea until at least 1997.

Australia is a signatory to the London Convention on Ocean Dumping, which set down December 1995 as the deadline by which all dumping of toxic and hazardous materials at sea must stop.

Protesters held placards and chanted slogans such as "Dump Kelly, not jarosite!" and "Make the polluters pay!". They held giant painted toxic fish to draw attention to the high levels of heavy metals being found in fish caught in the area.

The protest was organised by Environmental Youth Alliance, Resistance and the Democratic Socialist Party. Kest Courtice, a spokesperson for EYA, said, "Jarosite is a mixture of mercury, cadmium, lead, zinc, arsenic and other wastes, and it is being dumped in a commercial fishing area. This is not acceptable."

There are plans for another rally and protest on Saturday, February 26. For more info phone Kest or Andrew on 346 397.

From GLW issue 131