Comments on: Channel Deepening CEO: misreported or misinformed?

By: Nino

Nino — Fri, 22 May 2009 10:56:49 +0000

The word ‘estuary’ applies to where a freshwater stream meets a marine environment, such as where the Yarra waters merge with Port Phillip Bay. The freshwater tends to flow over the heavier saltwater until wave action causes the two to mix.

The thinking behind creating a 6 square kilometre contaminated sediments disposal site in the Bay was a huge step from previous policy which aimed to minimise dredging and disposal of contaminated materials in the Bay. In fact, as I understand it, the Environment Protection Act 1970 included clauses to restrict disposal of contaminants into any Victorian waterway, including Port Phillip Bay. This was inconvenient for the Channel Deepening proponents as dumping the material in the Bay was the cheapest option in the short term. So a decision was made to set the Environment Protection Act aside (along with the EPA) and use the National Ocean Disposal Guidelines (which ordinarily applied to dumping at sea) for the Channel Deepening project. The requirements of these guidelines weren’t actually followed in full. But that’s another story!

By: john

john — Sun, 17 May 2009 00:19:24 +0000

is it correct that because port philip bay is a estuary not a bay,this has allowed the toxic material to be dregged up then dumped elsewhere in the bay without EPA approval.

By: Nino

Nino — Sat, 14 Mar 2009 23:19:49 +0000

STAN SAYS TO JENNY & LENNY: You’re quite right. PoMC have provided no tests for radionuclides. In fact, it appears no studies on radionuclides in the Yarra have ever been done. If they have, they haven’t been made available to the public. This is despite a 1989 investigation of radioactive contamination at 506 Lorimer Street, Fishermens Bend, which found radioactive contaminants throughout the buildings and grounds and in a 380mm stormwater pipe leading to the River. On learning the history of the Lorimer Street site, Baykeeper called for Yarra dredging to stop until tests had been done to prove that there was no radioactive risk. This call was made in July 2008 to the Channel Deepening Community Liaison Group (CLG) convened by PoMC.

The CLG requested a response on the issue from the Office of the Environmental Monitor (OEM). While the Yarra dredging continued, after 5 weeks the OEM replied that they considered the risk to be low. But they failed to provide any scientific studies of Yarra sediments to support this opinion.