I object to the request for modification of VOC (Volatile organic compounds) levels; This stack is in close proximity to school - namely Abbotsleigh School (Junior and Senior).

The NorthConnex tunnel operators have requested a 400% increase in the allowed level of pollutants known as VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds) to be emitted unfiltered from the Wahroonga pollution stack near my daugther's school- Abbotsleigh.

Elevated levels of VOC’s, diesel particulates and other pollutants are a health risk. A letter of concern about NorthConnex signed by over 200 local doctors in 2014 warned:
“International air pollution experts state there is no safety threshold to the amount of air pollution causing health impacts, hence there is no “safe level”. The smallest amount of air pollution will have a corresponding amount of health impact. Even low dose exposures to particulate matter have been demonstrated to have significant health risks.”

As such, I demand for filtration of the tunnel emissions from the Wahroonga ventilation stack OR at the minimum no modiciation should be allowed to the current VOC level.

11th September 2019 5 Bedford Road
North Epping 2121
[email protected]


Director, Transport Assessments
Major Projects Team
NSW Dept of Planning, Industry and Environment

Re: Submission in Response to State Significant Infrastructure Modification SSI-6136-Mod-3 – Modification to Northconnex Ventilation Outlet Limit.

Dear Sir,

I am making this submission as the grandparent of two young girls (aged 4 and 8) currently attending Abbotsleigh Junior School. I would like to express my strong objection to the modification request by the RMS to amend Condition of Approval E11 to raise the Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) limit from 1mg / m3 to 4mg / m3. This is based on the following concerns:

1) Potential adverse impacts of this change on the 17 schools and childcare centres within a km of the stack (including Abbotsleigh Junior School) have not been adequately considered
2) Concerns regarding adverse health impacts, particularly on children and the elderly, have been raised by the Australian Medical Association NSW and the Asthma Foundation NSW.
3) NorthConnex will emit 500 micrograms per cubic metre of diesel particulates. The normal level across Sydney is between 8 and 25 micrograms. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has classified diesel emissions as a Group 1A carcinogen, which is the same class as asbestos, arsenic and mustard gas. These particulates are known to cause or exacerbate asthma and other respiratory illnesses, impair lung development in children and cause heart disease and cancers. As my four-year-old granddaughter has been diagnosed with asthma, this is of particular concern to me.
4) The WHO, as well as other scientific reviews, have concluded that there is no safe level of fine particulate matter (such as that which will be released from the NorthConnex stack) for children.
5) Original modelling of the dispersal of air pollution used weather patterns from other parts of Sydney, including Terrey Hills, 20 kilometres away, and Sydney Airport. Actual weather patterns in the Wahroonga area are likely to result in less dispersal of air pollution.
6) My understanding is that many of the health impacts of pollution from exhaust stacks are caused by ultrafine particles, which are difficult to measure and as such may be under-measured in tests of local air quality around these stacks.


There has been inadequate consultation by the RMS with the local community, including the parents of children attending local schools, about the potential impact of the proposed modifications. Further, this modification request is quite sudden, and the limited time allowed for submissions is manifestly insufficient.

I would respectfully make the following requests of the NSW Dept of Planning, Industry and Environment:

1) Withhold approval of State Significant Infrastructure Modification SSI-6136
2) Mandate the installation of filtration at ventilation outlets by RMS to reduce VOC emissions into the air, noting that filtration at tunnels is an international standard and is Recommendation 13 in the December 2018 NSW Parliament Legislative Council Public Accountability Committee Report on the impact of the Westconnex Project. Further, I would request that it be mandated that such filtration be operational at all times.


I have not made any political donations in the last two years.



Sincerely,


Gwenda Charlson.

Firstly we would like to state that we OBJECT to the modification request by RMS to amend condition of approval E-11- Ventilation Outlets-Limits. That is to modify the approved Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) limit from 1mg/m3 to 4 mg/m3.

We have a high level of concern regarding the following issues:

1. The increased level of VOC's from 1mg/m3 to 4mg/m3 will increase the concentrations of emissions from the northern ventilation stack in a densely populated residential area in Wahroonga, where 9,300 school children will be exposed, as well as multiple aged care facilities, hospitals, businesses and homes.

Our kids go to school in this suburb and will be for the next 13 years.

2. We are highly concerned about the multiple large scale research studies that suggest the impacts of air pollutants on health are serious. These include increased death from heart disease, increased risks of lung cancer, stroke, poor lung growth in children, increased asthma, and recent research suggesting low birth weight for pregnant women, increased autism, and congenital heart defects. These studies confirm air pollutants have prothrombotic and inflammatory effects on humans which cause the above health problems. Specifically, many of the VOC's, including benzene and formaldehyde from vehicle exhaust, are classified as Group 1 carcinogens to humans (IARC 2009). When VOC's and NOx react in the presence of sunlight, ozone is formed. In the short term, exposure to ozone can result in reduced lung function and exacerbation of asthma and chronic respiratory diseases, as well as irritation and inflammation of eyes, nose, throat and lower airways. In the long term, as well as causing cancer, there is a growing body of evidence to support that exposure to ozone increases death from respiratory and cardiovascular causes. There is currently inconsistent evidence to indicate there is a threshold below which exposure to ozone is not associated with adverse health effects. That is to say, there is NO SAFE LEVEL.

To address my/our concerns I request that the following actions are undertaken:
1. Due to the significant health concerns that will occur in the community, I request the department of planning does not approve of the proposed modifications
2. That the ventilation outlet emissions are filtered before release into the air, as per Recommendation 13 in the December 2018 NSW Parliament Legislative Council Public Accountability Committee Report on the Impact of the WestConnex Project.

I have not made any political donations.

The NSW Government should install filtration systems on all current and future motorway tunnels to reduce the level of pollutants emitted from ventilation stacks. Whilst the levels of Volatile Organic Compounds are being deemed safe by our current medical and scientific knowledge, this knowledge is constantly changing. My daughters school Abbotsleigh is at Wahroonga, close to a ventilation stack. Please don't use my daughters life to gamble on being right.
Regards
Penelope Gleen
BSc Dip Chem Ind

Please find below my submission in response to - EXHIBITION OF STATE SIGNIFICANT INFRASTRUCTURE MODIFICATION REQUEST NORTHCONNEX(M1-M2) PROJECT- MODIFICATION- SS6136 MOD 3

Firstly I would like to state that I OBJECT to the modification request by RMS to amend condition of approval E-11- Ventilation Outlets-Limits. That is to modify the approved Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) limit from 1mg/m3 to 4 mg/m3.

I have a high level of concern regarding the following issues:

1. The increased level of VOC's from 1mg/m3 to 4mg/m3 will increase the concentrations of emissions from the northern ventilation stack in a densely populated residential area in Wahroonga, where 9,300 school children will be exposed, as well as multiple aged care facilities, hospitals, businesses and homes.

2. I am highly concerned about the multiple large scale research studies that suggest the impacts of air pollutants on health are serious. These include increased death from heart disease, increased risks of lung cancer, stroke, poor lung growth in children, increased asthma, and recent research suggesting low birth weight for pregnant women, increased autism, and congenital heart defects. These studies confirm air pollutants have prothrombotic and inflammatory effects on humans which cause the above health problems. Specifically, many of the VOC's, including benzene and formaldehyde from vehicle exhaust, are classified as Group 1 carcinogens to humans (IARC 2009). When VOC's and NOx react in the presence of sunlight, ozone is formed. In the short term, exposure to ozone can result in reduced lung function and exacerbation of asthma and chronic respiratory diseases, as well as irritation and inflammation of eyes, nose, throat and lower airways. In the long term, as well as causing cancer, there is a growing body of evidence to support that exposure to ozone increases death from respiratory and cardiovascular causes. There is currently inconsistent evidence to indicate there is a threshold below which exposure to ozone is not associated with adverse health effects. That is to say, there is NO SAFE LEVEL.

To address my concerns I request that the following actions are undertaken:
1. Due to the significant health concerns that will occur in the community, I request the department of planning does not approve of the proposed modifications
2. That the ventilation outlet emissions are filtered before release into the air, as per Recommendation 13 in the December 2018 NSW Parliament Legislative Council Public Accountability Committee Report on the Impact of the WestConnex Project.

I have not made any political donations in the previous two years

Please find below my submission in response to - EXHIBITION OF STATE SIGNIFICANT INFRASTRUCTURE MODIFICATION REQUEST NORTHCONNEX(M1-M2) PROJECT- MODIFICATION- SS6136 MOD 3

Firstly I would like to state that I OBJECT to the modification request by RMS to amend condition of approval E-11- Ventilation Outlets-Limits. That is to modify the approved Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) limit from 1mg/m3 to 4 mg/m3.

I have a high level of concern regarding the following issues:

1. The increased level of VOC's from 1mg/m3 to 4mg/m3 will increase the concentrations of emissions from the northern ventilation stack in a densely populated residential area in Wahroonga, where 9,300 school children will be exposed, as well as multiple aged care facilities, hospitals, businesses and homes.

2. I am highly concerned about the multiple large scale research studies that suggest the impacts of air pollutants on health are serious. These include increased death from heart disease, increased risks of lung cancer, stroke, poor lung growth in children, increased asthma, and recent research suggesting low birth weight for pregnant women, increased autism, and congenital heart defects. These studies confirm air pollutants have prothrombotic and inflammatory effects on humans which cause the above health problems. Specifically, many of the VOC's, including benzene and formaldehyde from vehicle exhaust, are classified as Group 1 carcinogens to humans (IARC 2009). When VOC's and NOx react in the presence of sunlight, ozone is formed. In the short term, exposure to ozone can result in reduced lung function and exacerbation of asthma and chronic respiratory diseases, as well as irritation and inflammation of eyes, nose, throat and lower airways. In the long term, as well as causing cancer, there is a growing body of evidence to support that exposure to ozone increases death from respiratory and cardiovascular causes. There is currently inconsistent evidence to indicate there is a threshold below which exposure to ozone is not associated with adverse health effects. That is to say, there is NO SAFE LEVEL.

To address my concerns I request that the following actions are undertaken:
1. Due to the significant health concerns that will occur in the community, I request the department of planning does not approve of the proposed modifications
2. That the ventilation outlet emissions are filtered before release into the air, as per Recommendation 13 in the December 2018 NSW Parliament Legislative Council Public Accountability Committee Report on the Impact of the WestConnex Project.

I have not made any political donations in the previous two years

Please find below my submission in response to - EXHIBITION OF STATE SIGNIFICANT INFRASTRUCTURE MODIFICATION REQUEST NORTHCONNEX(M1-M2) PROJECT- MODIFICATION- SS6136 MOD 3

Firstly I would like to state that I/we OBJECT to the modification request by RMS to amend condition of approval E-11- Ventilation Outlets-Limits. That is to modify the approved Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) limit from 1mg/m3 to 4 mg/m3.

I have a high level of concern regarding the following issues:

1. The increased level of VOC's from 1mg/m3 to 4mg/m3 will increase the concentrations of emissions from the northern ventilation stack in a densely populated residential area in Wahroonga, where 9,300 school children will be exposed, as well as multiple aged care facilities, hospitals, businesses and homes.

2. I am highly concerned about the multiple large scale research studies that suggest the impacts of air pollutants on health are serious. These include increased death from heart disease, increased risks of lung cancer, stroke, poor lung growth in children, increased asthma, and recent research suggesting low birth weight for pregnant women, increased autism, and congenital heart defects. These studies confirm air pollutants have prothrombotic and inflammatory effects on humans which cause the above health problems. Specifically, many of the VOC's, including benzene and formaldehyde from vehicle exhaust, are classified as Group 1 carcinogens to humans (IARC 2009). When VOC's and NOx react in the presence of sunlight, ozone is formed. In the short term, exposure to ozone can result in reduced lung function and exacerbation of asthma and chronic respiratory diseases, as well as irritation and inflammation of eyes, nose, throat and lower airways. In the long term, as well as causing cancer, there is a growing body of evidence to support that exposure to ozone increases death from respiratory and cardiovascular causes. There is currently inconsistent evidence to indicate there is a threshold below which exposure to ozone is not associated with adverse health effects. That is to say, there is NO SAFE LEVEL.

To address my concerns I request that the following actions are undertaken:
1. Due to the significant health concerns that will occur in the community, I request the department of planning does not approve of the proposed modifications
2. That the ventilation outlet emissions are filtered before release into the air, as per Recommendation 13 in the December 2018 NSW Parliament Legislative Council Public Accountability Committee Report on the Impact of the WestConnex Project.

I have not made any political donations in the previous two years