Rally demands end to ocean dumping
HOBART — Four hundred angry people filled the Parliament House lawns for a loud and vibrant march and rally on Saturday, February 26, to voice their objections to Pasminco-EZ's jarosite dumping plans.
Despite the London Convention on Ocean Dumping, which bans sea dumping of toxic waste after 1995,the federal government recently granted EZ a two-year extension on its licence to dump toxic waste in the Tasman Sea.
EZ has had 22 years to research alternatives. It is the only zinc company in the world which continues to produce jarosite as a by-product of its production.
This isn't the first protest action that has occurred in response to EZ's pollution of our environment. This weekend's rally brought together people from throughout the community in vocal opposition to the fact that we have no say in what is dumped in our rivers or our oceans.
Sarah Stephen from EYA compered the rally. Speakers were Peg Putt spoke, the Tasmanian Greens member for Denison, Brendan Fuller from Greenpeace and Katrina Dean from Resistance.
Speakers urged everyone to get involved in putting real pressure on the federal government and EZ to clean up its act.
The next campaign meeting will be held on Thursday, March 3, at 5.30pm at 290 Murray St. For more details contact Sarah or Kest on (002) 34 6397.