Waste dump plan concerns
I GENERALLY try not to get embroiled in environmental matters but, as an angler, I sometimes see things that I feel need to be brought to the attention of others.
The latest issue I can’t let pass is the proposed waste dumping site at St Leonards, nearLaunceston.
It is a proposal with similarities to the facility currently located at Glenfern, in the Derwent Valley, in the state’s south.
The Glenfern facility, as highlighted by a report in the Sunday Tasmanian last weekend, was given a permit variation in 2014 to change from general waste composting to also processing fish waste and sewerage bio solids.
The facility was found to be involved in a contamination incident in September when wastewater from the composting process spilled into the Plenty River, resulting in the death of more than 130,000 fish fry at the Salmon Ponds.
A similar facility is proposed for the North and while it may only be for general waste at this stage, a tick of the box by the EPA could allow the same situation to develop where fish and human waste is processed.
This would not bode well for the North Esk River at Corra Lynn through to St Leonard’s.
This waterway has already taken a big hit with the high levels of PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls) detected there. It is a substance used in firefighting foam with the potential run-off having come from training facilities at Launceston Airport prior to 2010.
The area has been declared a no-catch zone for anglers and all fish should be returned to the water. This includes eels, trout, and all salmon.
Tasmania’s Department of Public Health has issued warnings not to eat any fish ore el caught from this area, and the EPA still has a warning in place for this stretch of water.
Tests in fish and platypus came back with high levels
For those who don’t know, PCBs are a group of persistent organic pollutants. They are contaminants in many petrochemicals including now banned pesticides such as the notorious defoliant Agent Orange[245T].
Toxicologists call them ‘slow poisons’ because their effects follow accumulation in the body over time through consumption of contaminated foods. They are associated with immune system problems and some forms of cancer, particularly soft tissue cancers.
The sad thing is, these pollutants are going to be there for a long, long time. I certainly can understand why local residents at St Leonards don’t want a facility in the area, or why approval would be granted anywhere in the state which could be to the detriment of ourwaterways.
On a happier note, many have been taking advantage of the good weather for a bit of fishing and good spots over the past week have included Tooms Lake, where catches have been many and varied.
Cobra-style lures in red and gold seem to be working well here.
Weed is a problem at Four Springs in the North and I did hear of an angler being bitten by a snake while fishing there recently. They are about, so takecare.