Woodlawn Advanced Energy Recovery Centre

Date: 5.12.22
To Whom It May Concern:
This letter is written to formally object to Veolia’s intention to build a waste incinerator at Woodlawn. Application No: SSD-21184278 – “Woodlawn Advanced Energy Recovery Centre”

The reasons behind our objection include:
1. Veolia have a long history of polluting our community and failing to control odor from the waste management facility that is currently in place. Well over 200 incidents reported to EPA in the past year alone. Their most recent offence at the end of November resulted in a local waterway being polluted. At no point was our community alerted to this until news broke via the media. When we have to deal with odor, we are not able to hang our washing out, nor is it pleasant to be outside. The reality is, Veolia struggles to maintain pollution from the waste facility they have had in place for a number of years now. How are they going to manage with 2 facilities going at once? The truth is they won’t be and it will be the community that pays the price.
2. It was decided that it was not safe to build such a facility in Sydney. Our community is yet to hear as to why our lives are more expendable than those who live in Sydney.
3. Such a facility has never been operated in a rural location where the local community relies on tank water. Considering the amount of work that went into cleaning and sanitizing our tanks and water supply following the 2019/2020 bushfires, this is a valid concern that needs to be addressed. Micro-particles entering our water supply is inevitable, yet Veolia behave as this problem does not exist.
4. Placing this facility in a rural location will impact upon crops, stock and food production as a whole. Entire livelihoods will be destroyed by this health hazard of a project going ahead. No one will want to eat products grown and produced within range of a waste incinerator, nor will anyone invest in wool contaminated by micro-particles. Even on a smaller scale, those of us who grow our own produce for our families will be left eating contaminated produce. This is not acceptable.
5. The presence of the waste management facility in its current format has impacted our community enough as it is in regards to housing prices. As it stands, those who choose to sell must do so with regard to avoiding days where odor may be detected. “Do you smell the tip?” is commonly asked by those looking to move into the area. The presence of the incinerator will destroy any chance we had of selling at market price, if we’re able to sell at all.
6. Veolia have been very reluctant to share the extent of the impact of the incinerator, despite ongoing pressure from our community to do so. Tracking models show the plume from the incinerator will reach as far as Canberra. Veolia quickly changes the topic when this is raised. Our community has done our best to educate and warn those in harms way in town but there only so much we can do without Veolia being forthcoming with real information and facts. If the truth of the impact was known by Canberra and the surrounding rural communities, Veolia would be facing a much more intense backlash. So instead they say silent.
7. Veolia have violated residents rights to peace and privacy by sending around company reps in order to “address any concerns about the project.” These reps ignored “No entry” signs and trespassed onto numerous properties in order to achieve “community consultation.” The truth is, this consultation was uninvited and unwanted but continued despite individuals making it clear the rep’s only option was to leave properties immediately and that their presence was unwelcome in our community. When asked why they were trespassing, the response from the reps was “Veolia sent us.” Whilst we understand Veolia is obligated to consult with us, under no circumstances are they allowed to trespass or access our properties without consent.
8. Veolia is refusing to acknowledge any accountability and need for compensation or support in regards to the consequences the community will face if this project goes ahead. Veolia denies any responsibility for testing our water supply, cleaning our tanks or having water trucked in. They refuse to accept the need for greenhouses both on personal and commercial scales in order to protect crops and food supplies from contamination. They refuse to acknowledge the impact the project will have on our housing prices or provide market value compensation to those of us who wish to sell up and move away from the area in order to protect our health. Veolia is in clear denial about the extent of the impact this project will have on the surrounding communities.
9. Veolia have a long history of giving multiple responses to the same question, avoiding questions completely, changing the minutes of meetings and gas lighting those who challenge them. At a recent community meeting, a member of our community was removed from the meeting after they tried to hold Veolia accountable and commit to supporting the community they are destroying. As it stands, the final 3 members or the community consultation group resigned from their positions as a result of Veolia’s ongoing unethical behaviour.

We were told we wouldn’t be impacted by the current waste management facility yet we are regularly dealing with odor. Veolia’s welcome in our community is wearing thin. We cannot go back on agreeing to the original facility but we are fighting with everything we have to object to and prevent Veolia expanding their facilities. Their history proves they cannot be trusted and we will not allow them to continue to decimate our livelihoods, community and the environment that surrounds us.

We formally and passionately object to the Veolia’s incinerator project. We confirm that we have no political donations in need of declaration and accept the department’s disclaimer and declaration.
Sincerely,
Rhi Sugars

Given the fact I am having to write this NO submission is evidence enough the NSW Government is either corrupt or not fit for office. It beggars belief that whilst the rest of the world is banning these toxic incinerators the NSW Government is being conned by Veolia that it is a safe solution. If it is so safe as they want us to believe then why not build it in Sydney at the source of the rubbish rather than transport it by rail all the way to Tarago. Truth is everyone knows these are not safe and building it in or near Sydney would mean a guarantee political suicide at the next election. So some how it’s not safe for Sydney but it’s safe enough for Tarago. Sounds more like those country folk at Tarago and surrounds are being treated as collateral damage by the NSW Government.

I live 6km from the Woodlawn site. I will be able to see this monster when it is built. We have chickens, we have ducks, we have cattle, sheep and goats, we grow vegetable, have fruit trees and our drinking water is collected from our roof. Once this toxic incinerator is operational, we will no longer be able to use any of these. The chickens and eggs will be the first to pickup the toxins especially the dioxins. We will no longer be able to trust what we are eating from the garden and our drinking water will be totally compromised. It will only be a matter of time before we are pulled up for excessive residues with our sheep and cattle. I note that in Federal Parliament last week it was stated that every Australian is entitled to clean air. This definitely won’t allow for that.

Veolia current track record with the existing bioreactor is appalling. They have breached their environmental regulations on hundreds of occasions and have repeatedly gone out of their way to keep this from the local community. Recently it was discovered Veolia had contaminated the Tarago ground water; not once but repeatedly over the past 5 years. This is absolutely appalling and quiet frankly terrifying. The community was never made aware of this and it’s obvious they have done nothing to remediate the initial issue. Surely 5 years is more than sufficient to remediate the issue or better still sufficient grounds to halt the current operation. The bio reactor is small fry compared to the proposed incinerator. Breaches will be 1000x more damaging to the environment and community. Added to this it is clearly evident from their track record they will do everything in their power to not inform the local community when these breaches occur. Contrary to the current Veolia message the only thing they are interested in is making money and lots of it. The last thing they are concerned about is the local community and the local environment and farmlands. Based on their current poor track record how can we even start to think we can trust them with this incinerator given the stakes will be so much higher every time they stuff up; and it won’t be if the breach the regulations but when.

This proposal is also having a massive effect on my families mental health. My youngest daughter has developed significant anxiety over this proposal and if this was to proceed this will only get worse. We won’t be able to sell our farm when it is time to retire. Who on earth would want to buy a contaminated property within eyesight of this toxic facility. I am appalled that Veolia has the gaul to call us local’s who are objecting to this proposal NIMBY’s (Not In My Back Yard). Just shows how out-of-touch they are with the local community as we really stand for “Not In Anyone’s Back Yard”. There is no place anywhere for this.

This whole proposal goes against the directions of the rest of the world. Reduce emissions, recycle, reuse, reduce our rubbish footprint, develop new technologies. If this goes ahead all this will be put on hold for the life of the polluting incinerator as there is a minimum amount of rubbish contracted to run it so there will be zero incentive by the NSW Government to want to reduce Sydney’s volume of rubbish or even consider developing and implement new technologies and initiatives. In today’s society with so much focus now on climate change and our impact on the environment and word we live I find this whole proposal totally insulting and rather criminal.

I say No to this toxic incinerator.

Regards

There have been recent breeches by Veolia at Woodlawn with admissions of toxic spills over a number of years that the Tarago community was unaware of. I find it difficult to trust the new project being monitored correctly with the past track record. If the project was to go ahead it is condoning past breeches and letting them get away with it. The fines are not enough for the breeches. A clear NO message to any future projects is the only way to keep the company accountable for looking after the environment for us, our children and our children's children.
The air is very clear here and that is one of the reasons I moved from Sydney to the country. The Tarago area in particular is not a suitable area for the centre to be built. We do not have mains water supply and rely on water tanks that directly collect rainwater for drinking as all other residents here. This is a farming area with many commercial farms and small farms producing organic products.
The infrastructure around Tarago with roads in and out are not suitable and are in a constant state of disrepair due to heavy trucks moving out from Canberra through Bungendore to Woodlawn. The roads are not wide enough and are dangerous as the trucks with the rubbish in do not slow down that causes cars to need to move to the left into sides of roads that have large ridges, pot holes in the middle that damages car wheels and hubs and puts lives in danger. The rain has also exasperated the road situation. The roads are not suitable for the increased large construction trucks needed to build the facility.
Burning the rubbish may be seen as getting rid of the rubbish reducing the size of the rubbish to the eye but there is always cause and effect. The rubbish turns into toxic air when burned that has to be purified but is it coming out as fresh air? No to the risks both known and unknown of living near a facility that will contaminate the air.

I strongly object to building a waste-to-energy incinerator at the existing Woodlawn Bioreactor landfill site in the Goulburn Mulwaree NSW council region near Tarago. This incinerator will emit harmful toxic air pollution 24 hours a day, 365 days a year for 25 years into region of Canberra. Incinerating rubbish is not the answer. This incinerator will contribute to climate change and will impact the health of my children, grandchildren and their grandchildren through the accumulation of forever chemicals in the surrounding environment.

I live outside Gundaroo on land where we are growing organic/biodynamic produce. I strongly object to Veolia’s proposed incinerator being built in Tarago due to the negative impact it will have on our health and the environment.
Studies have shown the negative effect toxic particulate pollution has on our environment and health through the air we breathe, contaminating our soil and waterways and tank water catchment. These toxins, absorbed by plants and animals which we then eat, have been linked to cancer, reproductive issues and a myriad of other health concerns.
These contaminants once in the soil stay for generations and it is morally wrong for us to leave these problems for future generations to deal with.
In February 2020 the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health published “The health impacts of waste incineration:a systematic review” Tait et.al. Vol 44 issue1 pp40-48. In this they found “contamination of food and ingestion of pollutants is a significant risk pathway for both nearby and distant residents”.It also concluded that even with newer technologies that Veolia purports to be using “Diseases from exposure tend to manifest only after many years of cumulative exposure, so it is premature to conclude that these newer technologies improve safety”
These incinerator plants have already been rejected in Sydney due to safety concerns and so are not safe here; and with Veolia’s history of fines for contravention to their licence conditions from the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) I would struggle to believe this proposal is worth the risk.
I also believe that providing an incinerator does not encourage people to reduce waste or their use of plastics made from fossil fuels, which is in contravention to the Australian government’s pledge to reduce greenhouse gases by 43% below 2005 levels by 2030 and achieve net zero emissions by 2050.
I thank you for this opportunity to submit my objections to this proposal and hope that this government supports it’s rejection.

I strongly object to the proposed Energy Recovery Centre at Tarago
I have many concerns including:
- The reputation of Veolia continually breaching environmental restrictions and just paying fines. Veolia has admitted to these breaches.
- I object to having any possible pollution affecting the air, water and land surrounding Tarago and affecting farming land.
- If Veolia and the state government thinks this incinerator is safe - then have Sydney's rubbish burnt next to Sydney residents not the small community of Tarago - Rural lives matter!
- Veolia can't manage the rubbish already at Woodlawn - the smell is breaching restrictions and the leaching into Tarago's water supply is unacceptable, how can the State government trust Veolia to adhere to the requirements to running a pollution making incinerator.
Please consider all lives when making decisions about constructing this rubbish incinerator. Tarago is situated within the Sydney Water Catchment Area and air pollution will affect the ACT and surrounds.

The incinerator is bad for the Enviroment and will pump toxic fumes into the local area.

I do not support Veolia's application for a waste incinerator at Tarago, as my family and I are already affected by the existing waste disposal facility at Woodlawn and do not believe that Veolia will be able to safe guard the health of the community and surrounding environment. As we know they fail in this department already.
We already have to live with the sink of Woodlawn.

I strongly object to the toxic incinerator proposed by Veolia.
I have lived in this area for 25 years and specifically moved here due to my concerns about the effects of pollution in the city. I have invested a great deal of time and money on my property to ensure the health of my family. This proposal will create 2.2million tonnes of toxic waste ash, and emit acid gases, toxic heavy metal particulates (mercury, lead cadmium) and persistent organic particulates (dioxins, furans, PCBs, PFAS). In addition to polluting the air, dioxins and furans will accumulate in the surrounding environment over time in soil and water and are absorbed by plants, crops and animals.
I do NOT see why we (my family and my community) should suffer having this toxic cocktail or that neighboring farmers should have their properties and livestock poisoned and their livelihoods threatened.
If this proposal is deemed to be safe for people in our area then why is it not being built in Sydney (where the rubbish originates from) - surely it must be every bit as safe there?
STOP TREATING THE PEOPLE OF RURAL NSW LIKE SECOND CLASS CITIZENS AND LETTING COMPANIES LIKE VEOLIA TREATING THE COUNTRY SIDE A DUMPING GROUND - WE ARE SICK OF IT

My name is Michael Gazzard and I live in Lower Boro. I strongly object to Veolia’s proposed incinerator being built in Tarago. There are so many reasons to say no and no reasons to say yes.
here are many reasons for my objection, such as:
Not safe for Sydney, not safe anywhere.
1. In July 2018, the NSW Independent Planning Commission rejected the Eastern Creek waste incinerator in Sydney as it was not being in the public interest. Some of the reasons included concerns about safety, insufficient evidence that the pollution control technologies would be capable of managing emissions, concern about the relationship between air quality impacts and water quality impacts, the possibility of adverse environmental outcomes, and concern about site suitability and human health impacts. Since that time, the NSW Government has banned toxic waste incinerators in Sydney due to the risk to human health. The risks have not changed since that decision back in 2018 – If this kind of project is not safe foe Sydney, then it is not safe for anywhere in NSW. Especially Tarago.

No social license

1. There is no community acceptance for a facility in Tarago or anywhere in the Southern Tablelands. According to the NSW Energy from Waste Policy, it states, that incinerator proposals are only valid where “community acceptance to operate such a process has been obtained”.

2. Social license is made up of three components:
o Legitimacy – do they play by the rules?
o Credibility – do they provide honest information?
o Trust – can the community be confident that they will do what they say?

3. Veolia have spent over 15 years failing to operate their existing Woodlawn facility within license conditions, have received multiple infringements, failed to inform the community of pollution to the environment, and attempted to withhold information from the community under freedom of information processes.

4. Veolia’s track record shows they break the rules, hide information from the community and pollute the environment.

Cumulative impact

1. This project area is surrounded by prime agricultural land and hundreds of rural residential developments, as well as numerous potential future developments as a result of subdivision. The locality is already saturated with state significant projects and Veolia’s proposal would place an unacceptable cumulative impact on the local and surrounding communities and environment. Veolia note in the EIS that there are another seven active state significant projects in the local area. This is on top of the existing multiple state significant projects Veolia operates at Woodlawn including a landfill, bioenergy plant, mechanical and biological treatment (MBT) facility, wind farm and solar farm. The local area is also surrounded by many other existing state significant projects in addition to the seven listed by Veolia in the EIS – Capital I, II and Collector Wind Farms, Capital Solar farm and numerous other smaller, but still large scale quarry developments.

2. The town has suffered impacts from the Woodlawn site for almost 45 years. The first 20 years from zinc, lead and copper mining undertaken on site, and the last 15 years from Veolia breaching its license conditions through impacting the surrounding region with unbearable odour impacts. The local town is also living with significant lead contamination in and surrounding the rail corridor, including local residences, which has directly impacted the long-term health of the community and young residents, due to long standing impacts from the previous Woodlawn mine.

Toxic to our health and environment

1. Veolia’s incinerator proposal will emit toxic air pollution 24 hours a day, 365 days a year for 25 years, which will spread throughout the region from Canberra to Goulburn, Braidwood, Bungendore, Murrumbateman, Gunning, Marulan, Yass and more.

2. Pollution from the proposed incinerator will includes acid gases, toxic heavy metal particulates (mercury, lead cadmium) and persistent organic particulates (dioxins, furans, PCBs, PFAS). Particulate pollution can lead to decreased lung function, cardiac disease and death. In addition to polluting the air, dioxins and furans will accumulate in the surrounding environment over time in soil and water and are absorbed by plants, crops and animals.

3. Food contaminated by incinerator toxins can cause cancer, miscarriage, infant deaths, developmental delays, reproductive issues, heart disease and respiratory impairment.

4. The proposal will create 2.2million tonnes of toxic waste ash, including 380,000 tonnes of air pollution control residue (fly ash) which is classified as hazardous waste by the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA). All of this will be dumped on site, risking further contamination of soil and groundwater as well as the Sydney water catchment. Veolia’s track record of polluting local groundwaters (recognised by EPA prevention notice in October 2022) proves they cannot be trusted to safely manage such toxic outputs.

5. This incinerator will impact the health of our children, grandchildren and their grandchildren through the accumulation of forever chemicals in the surrounding environment. It is an intergenerational burden and legacy which cannot be allowed to go ahead.

6. The NSW Government acknowledges in its own Energy from Waste Infrastructure Plan that waste incinerators impact human health stating “Populations can still experience health impacts when emissions are below the national standards, and for some common air pollutants, there is no safe threshold of impact”.

7. In 2019, academics from the Australian National University Medical School, the Public Health Association of Australia, and Council of Academic Public Health Institutions Australia completed a systematic review of the health impacts of waste incineration, which was published in the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health in 20202 and referenced by the NSW Government Chief Scientist and Engineer in his report to the NSW Minister for Environment that same year. This report concluded that “there is insufficient evidence to conclude that any incinerator is safe” and in particular “contamination of food and ingestion of pollutants is a significant risk pathway for both nearby and distant residents”.

8. The proposal has already caused significant detrimental negative impact to surrounding communities’ mental health by increasing anxiety and depression. This will only be increased if the project goes ahead as those living nearby continue to stress about when their health will start to show the impacts of the pollution from the facility or having to stay indoors.

9. The proposed incinerator will exceed NSW government safety standards for air emissions during start-up, shut-down and many other ‘non-standard’ operating conditions. Veolia’s overseas incinerators often exceed safety standards and Veolia has a track record locally for failing to comply with license conditions at their existing Woodlawn facility.

Dear Sir / Madam

RE: Objection to Proposed Woodlawn Advanced Energy Recovery Centre - Application No. SSD-21184278

Please see attached letter of objection pertaining to the abovementioned application submitted by Veolia Environmental Services (Australia) Pty Ltd.

I am lodging the objection by email due to issues with the Planning Portal.

I acknowledge and accept the Department's disclaimer and declaration.

Kind regards,

Kristin Chhabra
96 Mulwaree Street
TARAGO NSW 2580

I strongly object to Veolia’s proposed incinerator being built in Tarago.

I believe that toxic industrial waste incinerators are a backward step for disposing of waste and producing energy, particularly when there are much better alternatives.

Incinerators cause air pollution with adverse effects on human and animal health and the disposal of toxic ash waste safely is a major problem.

The promised energy from this development will come at a huge cost to people and the environment at a time when so many cleaner and cheaper energy sources are available.

The burning of waste discourages reuse, recycling and composting. It encourages a wasteful society.

The NSW government should instead aim for zero waste by
1. introducing a tax on plastic, similar to alcohol and tobacco, with exemptions for essential medical items
2. educating industry/business/general public on how to reduce plastic consumption and how to reuse, recycle and compost
3. regulating industries’ material selection, manufacturing processes and product and packaging design

I have family that have a farm in Tarago, if it is not safe to have this in other locations then please find somewhere else without anyone that might be impacted. Let's employ the precautionary principle here and not risk people's health just because it's convenient, cheap and profitable to do so, the dangers and risks to the local community far outweigh the reward.

Refer submission attached