I support the submission by Blacktown City Council, which opposes the construction of a large energy from waste incinerator at Eastern Creek.
Like Council, I believe there are still significant information shortfalls in the Environmental Impact Statement, including the source of the waste and the inability of the applicant to guarantee procedures and processes that satisfactorily demonstrate how all waste will be appropriately sorted.
I also believe the current state environmental legislation will not provide the community with sufficient protection from its likely emissions.

I oppose plans to build the proposed Energy from Waste plant at Eastern Creek.

There are still significant information shortfalls in the Environmental Impact Statement, including the source of the waste and the inability of the applicant to guarantee procedures and processes that satisfactorily demonstrate how all industrial waste will be appropriately sorted.

There is no guarantee that the predictions of low emissions are valid and achievable. The existing Waste Transfer Station already significantly impacts air quality in my suburb and this has not been addressed.

Additionally, the incinerator proposal fails to comply with the area's zoning requirements.

It will have a significant impact on critically endangered ecological communities.

Furthermore, the location and design of the Energy from Waste plant fails to accord with a high standard of development and is too close to heavily populated residential areas.

Can see how this is GREEN energy, this should not be anywhere near residential areas, especially since we already deal with toxic smells. I'm concerned about the toxic ash that will be produced from this place and also the storage of excess waste sores on site. Take your garbage somewhere else !

I wish to add to my submission the following:

That I am concerned about the data that has been forecasted and its accuracy. A lot of this is assumptions. One example cones to mind: saving 63 million tonnes of green house gases (mainly methane) over the lifetime of the facility. When I asked at the public forum a question which was 'are you assuming that less coal will be burned over this lifetime and what if there is no reduction?' One of the men said that yes, they factored that in and he said that is a good question. So I feel these forecasts are misleading. He also said that it won't save any green house gases in the first 8 years.

Also, it is very worrying that a public school Minchinbury PS is only 800m to 1km from this proposed site. How can you expose children to any danger at all?

I have found out that the NSW Planning Dept. have only sent letters about the Incinerator to residents close by, because we will be the most affected. That being Minchinbury, the eastern side of Erskine Park and probably the Wonderland Business Hub. So if they think we are the ones most affected by this, then it's ridiculous to have the air monitor monitoring our air, all the way over at St Marys.

Our groundwater is still at risk:
`Geotechnical investigation was undertaken in the areas of proposed excavation in particular excavation in the footprint of the waste bunker, and no groundwater was encountered with the exception of one borehole (BH23) in the south-east of the site, near the Ropes Creek Tributary.'
https://majorprojects.affinitylive.com/public/37ce9bc9707ea35fd5137bdab2f7667a/Amended%20EIS_%20%20Eastern%20Creek%20Energy%20from%20Waste_%20Volume%201A.pdf

Finally, I found this in the amended EIS:
"The proposed Facility may release substance to atmosphere which have the potential to harm human health" This statement confirms that YES this incinerator is dangerous to human health.

So why are we even considering this? The TNG representatives said that they can't guarantee that it won't harm us or our children.

Thank you, Kerri Bradbury

I wish to state my objection to this proposed Energy from Waste Facility. The concern of health to my family is the major reason. The second reason is our area will be devalued.
We did not move here 28 years ago to live with heavy industrial businesses polluting our air and causing more traffic on the roads. Our pollution in Western Sydney is bad enough now let alone with the incinerator (EFWf). We have no sea breeze out here, we suffer extreme temperatures at times, the pollution sits here and is blocked by the mountains.
I will state in point form my concerns:
We have just had a very hot summer where the average daily temperature in West Sydney was over 33 degrees in January. There were quite a few days where the temperature exceeded 37 degrees Celsius. I believe that the incinerator must be shut down when it reaches 38 outside. So how many times will this happen? And my concern is that emissions escape at higher levels when they are shut down. The consultants at the public forums said that they have many of these in Europe and the UK. Not exactly the size, but like the one they are proposing. However, we have a far hotter climate than they do and our suburbs sit in a flat (in a basin) which is bordered by the Blue Mountains. It is not suited to our environment.
I object to the 3,528 trucks per week that will go through our roads to access the EFW. That equates to 26, 208 trucks per year. This will only add to the unacceptable pollution levels we already have. Our roads especially Wallgrove Rd is already clogged and at grid lock at times.
Besides the pollution caused from current traffic and the extra traffic generated by the incinerator, we will have the following emissions as stated on page 8 in the amended EIS volume A:
Particulate matter (PM), assumed to be emitted as PM10 and PM2.5.
Hydrogen Chloride (HCl).
Hydrogen Fluoride (HF).
Carbon Monoxide (CO)
Sulphur Dioxide (SO2).
Oxides of nitrogen (NOx).(expressed as Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2)).
Heavy metals (including Mercury (Hg), Cadmium (Cd), Arsenic (As), Chromium (Cr).
Gaseous and vaporous organic substances (expressed as total organic carbon (TOC)).
Dioxins and furans.
We don't want any more pollution to go into our air, even if they say they are in low quantities. And how do we know they will be measured accurately and properly? Even with the monitors at the facility being hooked up to the EPA, there is no assurance that things can't be manipulated.
I am also concerned that the type of waste that goes in will vary and cause different emissions and volumes. This is a major worry.
I am concerned about the PM2.5 especially. My son already suffers badly from asthma.
PM2.5 is highly toxic to humans. It does not get trapped in the nose hairs or throat but goes straight to our lungs. Exposure to particles is a major health concern. They can cause respiratory and circulation problems particularly in the elderly, children and people with existing health conditions.
Another major concern is that: `There is currently no national ambient air quality standard for the continuous monitoring of PM2.5 and existing methods can produce differing results.' - Found on the Air Pollution PDF on the Office of Heritage and environment. 2011 http://www.epa.nsw.gov.au/resources/air/110456Airpollution.pdf
There will also be fly ash produced which is highly toxic to humans. This is going to be stored on site in tanks and at Kemps Creek I believe. This is a major concern as this is a temporary solution I believe.
Finally, at last week's forum the TNG reps could not guarantee that emissions would not harm us. How can we possibly allow this to go ahead?
They are saying we all need to reduce CO2 emmissions, in particular the EIS claims it will reduce methane from not burying rubbish in landfill. Only organic rubbish emits methane. So are they saying they will be taking rotting rubbish as well. Because currently they don't. We were told it was not going to process putrescible waste back in 2008 or 09.
How can we trust them with what will go on the conveyors which are underground?

Please reject this outright. The proponent can't be trusted from past breaches.

Thank you, Kerri Bradbury

I firmly oppose this incinerator, because of the great health concerns, environmental impact, the impact on recycling efforts, and a general distrust and concern over what this facility has the potential to do.

In the 21st century, we are well equipped to reduce, reuse and recycle waste as these are all hierarchically above landfill and incineration. We need to be encouraging green and renewable energy. Incinerators burn rubbish and are not the answer to reducing pollution.

In my research, it has been highlighted that, European standards regarding the definition of 'green energy' are becoming stricter, with community backlash and health concerns arising from similar technology, most of which are much smaller scale. These include the dangerous aspects of dioxins, fly ash, ash and other particulate matter such as those below 2.5microns, which cannot be trapped as effectively.

Another huge problem is efficiency and low pollution is not guaranteed as the plant goes into instant shutdown - according to the EIS - when the air temp reaches 37°C. This has been exceeded 16 days this year already. Not only does this cause massive efficiency problems, as it takes a lot to restart an incinerator, but inefficiency in burning and fume collection occurs during startup. This plant also has to be shutdown periodically for maintenance too.

I have so many concerns about this and the previous and current EIS. These are legitimate concerns, and cannot be ignored with the "green/clean energy" argument, because honestly, its not clean if it has the potential for "serious health impacts in the greater western Sydney area" - as NSW Health put it in a formal submission. This should not be underestimated.

When two EISs, a NSW Health Submission, and a Blacktown city council all strongly emphasise that this incinerator has a great potential to impact the health and living conditions of Western Sydney, alongside lowering our property values immensely, it is hard to believe that this proposal could be considered. Please don't allow money and greed to take precedence over health and wellbeing of over 1 million residents in Greater Western Sydney. This could also leach pollution into landfill as ash is buried, and also leach into our ground and drinking water supplies.

I object, please show some common sense and concern.

This is my sons email as my wife and i dont have an email address. My wife Hanim Ozbay and i object to this incinerator. I agree and will fight with the Labor Concil of Blacktown in oppossing such a harmful thing built so close to residents. Please have some thoughts of what you are subjecting people to just to feed a greedy few

First of all, I would like to say that I am quite outraged that an incinerator is being built so close to a residential area. This incinerator is very damaging to us humans and the environment. The fumes from it can cause cancer, lung disease, asthma and disrupts the reproductive system, respiratory system, thyroid system and much more. Do you think that citizens of Australia want this? It is not just effecting a small group of citizens, but people within a 30km radius of its location. You set up an amazing healthcare system and are going to destroy it by damaging our health with this incinerator. Yes, there is some positives about this incinerator but it is by far out numbered by the negatives. If you are interested in building an incinerator, do it in a place far away from residential areas so that Australians do not die because of it. Please understand that this is not in the best interests of the Australian citizens and do something about it.
Furthermore, we are trying to save our environment, not destroy it by burning toxins and emitting them into the atmosphere. PLEASE DO NOT ALLOW THIS PROJECT TO GO AHEAD!!

I object this incinerator. I moved to Minchinbury 2 years ago as its a beautiful residential family area. I don't want to be exposed to the poisons that will definitely happen

I support the submission by Blacktown City Council, which opposes the construction of a large energy from waste incinerator at Eastern Creek.
Like Council, I believe there are still significant information shortfalls in the Environmental Impact Statement, including the source of the waste and the inability of the applicant to guarantee procedures and processes that satisfactorily demonstrate how all waste will be appropriately sorted.
I also believe the current state environmental legislation will not provide the community with sufficient protection from its likely emissions.