bob brown

From Green`s Press Release 15/10/07

Gunns pulp mill dioxin hazard makes sham of 'world's best' claims   


 The Lennon Government and the Minister for the Environment Malcolm  Turnbull had been  duped by Gunns and both 
seriously misled Australians  in claiming Gunns' polluting pulp mill was 'world's best  practice',  Greens Leader Bob Brown 
said in Launceston today.  

  "The Age today reports  that Gunns mill can legally exude as much of the  deadly chemical dioxin as the whole
 Swedish industry (which produces  seven times as much pulp) put together.  The claim that Gunns has been  tied to 
'world's best practice' is false.  The impact on Bass  Strait  fisheries, seal and penguin colonies, the Tamar River estuary
 and local   beaches, is entirely without prediction.  And while Labor's environment  shadow Peter Garrett is 'perfectly 
 comfortable' with the mill, the  insidious hazard of  dioxins and furans in Tasmania's marine ecosystem  should have 
stopped the mill,"  Senator Brown said.   

 "The Greens will campaign against this head-in-the-sand  attitude from  Hobart and Canberra right through to 24
 November and beyond.  This  is no  debating frivolity.  The pulp mill is a serious hazard to forests, the  Tamar Valley and 
the ocean.  The economic consequences of not insisting  on a  dioxin free mill are potentially huge," Senator Brown said. 
  "Everyone who votes  Labor or Liberal on 24th November will know they are  voting for the pulp mill," Senator Brown said.

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From Greens Press Release 5/10/07

Turnbull fails "world's best practice" - conditions applied to sewage outfall but not forest abattoir.

Both Environment Minister Turnbull and Chief Scientist Peacock are cheating to claim 'world's best practice' for
Gunns pulp mill when zero  study or conditions have been applied to the impact on the Tamar Valley vineyards,
Bob Brown said today.
"Whatever decision Gunns makes, this environmentally evil company will continue to log 200,000 hectares of 
Tasmania's wild forest and wildlife habitats. That's third world practice, not world's best. And the mill will inject 
over 100 million tonnes of greenhouse gases into the global atmosphere accelerating climate change. 
"Yesterday Dr Peacock called for a nation-building afforestation plan to take 20 million tonnes of CO2 out of the
atmosphere annually. Today he's behind a polluting pulp mill, with a forest furnace attached, which will put 10
 million tonnes of CO2 yearly into the atmosphere. His left hand does not know what his right hand is doing,"
 Senator Brown said.
"Giving the mill the go ahead without the Minister determining the impact on the marine ecosystem of Bass Strait,
 would be breaking the nation's law. This is not permitted in the EPBC Act," Senator Brown said.

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From The Australian 13/09/07

An article by Bob Brown entitled Pulp Mill will cost clean, green jobs.

"THE Australian Greens, Prime Minister John Howard, Tasmanian Premier Paul Lennon and federal Opposition Leader Kevin Rudd all agree that Gunns’ proposed pulp mill must meet “world’s best practice” environmental standards, writes Australian Greens leader Bob Brown."

"Lennon says: “A world-class pulp mill that meets tough environmental standards will make (the Tasmanian) economy much stronger.” "

"Federal Labor’s environment spokesman Peter Garrett says he supports a “world-class, best environment standards pulp mill”. "

"The Greens support a plantation-based, chlorine-free, closed-loop pulp mill that doesn’t use a Kraft (sulphur-based) pulping process. "

BBI: Bob goes on to point out that Gunn`s proposal is clearly not world`s best practice. He says Lennons approval has dropped, a galaxy poll has shown two-to-one voter disapproval, the creation of 284 permanent jobs is not a valid reason as hundreds of jobs will be threatened, the promised independent assessment was interfered with (forcing 2 members to quit). Then he finishes with..

"Howard has declared that “the final decision to go ahead with the (pulp mill) project would be subject to all environmental considerations being fully satisfied”. Gunns’ pulp mill proposal for Tasmania’s Tamar Valley is simply incapable of meeting that objective."

BBI: We at BBI hope that Kevin will show some sense about this matter when he is in power. Peter Garrett needs to be more influential than he has shown so far. Its all right to be a team man, Peter, but this was once a bread and butter issue for you.