Western Australian Election – RRRC Waste Composting Facility Odour – SMRC
Bottom line Labor have had five years to stop the pollution (from the RRRC Waste Composting Facility in Canning Vale, Western Australia) and address the communities concerns and they have failed.
They are continuing to do so with the withholding of DEC’s May survey results. Liberals are not committed to composting in Canning Vale or elsewhere and will actively expose it’s flaws and put in place a process to replace composting.
Dr Mike Nahan – Liberal Candidate for Riverton
August 2008
http://www.cmcoag.com/Western-Australia-Election-2008/Mike-Nahan-Labor-Has-Failed.htm
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“I stand against the foul, noxious, pungent ODOUR affecting many residents!”
For 5 years the residents of this area have suffered from a disgusting, noxious odour produced by the Waste Composting Facility (WCF) at the Regional Resource Recovery Centre (RRRC) in Canning Vale. As a result many residents are suffering serious health issues.
I stand against the foul, noxious, pungent ODOUR affecting many residents in Riverton. I am aware how this awful ODOUR is affecting many residents’ lives. I am also a Mechanical Engineer and I have intimate knowledge of the WCF because I was employed as the Maintenance Engineer at the WCF. I resigned due to the mismanagement and neglect for engineering design principles. I will work tirelessly to rid the surrounding suburbs of the terrible, stinking, unhealthy, noxious odour that escapes the WCF and POLLUTES OUR AIR.
The stench is a serious health issue to all residents within a 2km radius of the RRRC. It is unbelievable how the residents can manage to sleep on such nights. The residents are suffering from blood noses, itchy eyes, wheezing and nausea from the overwhelming stink. The symptoms are amazingly consistent among the suffering residents.
Christopher Boots Independent Candidate For Riverton
August 2008
http://www.cmcoag.com/Western-Australia-Election-2008/Chris-Boots-It-is-time-for-this-terrible-odour-to-stop.htm
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The composting operation of the RRRC is not performing satisfactorily in terms of odour emissions, costs and impost on ratepayers and recycling goals. It needs to be either improved dramatically, moved or phased out altogether.
The Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC), the state agency responsible for regulating the plant’s emissions including odour emission, has shown consistent reluctance to enforce the licensing conditions imposed on the composting plant for monitoring odour and odour emissions. Specifically, the plant has been allowed to operate without a continuous system for odour monitoring and in spite of strong evidence of odour emissions in excess of the licensed standards.
Mike Nahan – Liberal Party’s Position on the Southern Metropolitan Regional Council’s (SMRC) Regional Resource Recovery Centre (RRRC)
August 2008
http://www.cmcoag.com/Western-Australia-Election-2008/Liberal-Party-Position-on-SMRC-RRRC-WCF-odour.htm
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“Tony, residents have complained of similar symptoms when experiencing the odour including: blood noses, severe skin irritation, burning and running eyes and nose, throat irritation, migraines and headaches… and their pets also suffering from terrible skin and inhalant allergies. Residents feel this is beyond a coincidence. What action are you committing to carrying out in regards to the potential health risks, short and long term, if you are re-elected.
Tony: As far as I understand it, the question of public health risks resulting from the RRRC’s poor operating standrards is still the subject of invesitgation by the Department of Health. There are a range of obligations and liabilities for the Government, the City of Canning, the SMRC and member Councils that might arise if those studies were to find that there is an associated health problem or risk arising from the RRRC. That would determine my action and I would behave as I have always done on this issue – on the side of residents.
Interview With Tony McRae (Member for Riverton – Labor) On The RRRC Waste Composting Facility Odour Issue…
August 2008
http://www.cmcoag.com/Western-Australia-Election-2008/Interview-with-Tony-McRae-on-the-RRRC-WCF-odour-issue.htm
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“As I have said before to other people in your area, I believe that you have every right to be extremely angry about that plant being built next to you.
My strong position is that if they can’t make the smell go away, they need to shut it down.
It just isn’t fair to the people who have lived there for years to have something affect their quality of life in the way it does. I also believe that the government has had more than enough chances on this already, and I perfectly understand people are on the end of their tether.
August 2008
If They Can’t Make The Smell Go Away, They Need To Shut It Down!
Joe Francis (Liberal Candidate for Jandakot)
http://www.cmcoag.com/Western-Australia-Election-2008/if-they-cant-make-the-smell-go-away-they-need-to-shut-it-down.htm
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July 2008:
Release Odour Study & Enforce Standard on SMRC – Dr. Mike Nahan (Liberal Candidate for Riverton)
The SMRC’s Composting facility at Canning Vale has a long track record of failing to meet acceptable standards of odour control. This must stop.
The plant has been closed twice over the past two years by the Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC) for serious breaches of the odour standards. After each closure the SMRC announced that the problem was fixed, and the DEC allowed the plant to restart operations…over 500 complaints from the community since March 2007. During that time the SMRC has denied that it was in breach of odour standards…
Why isn’t the Minister for Environment Saving Residents from this Noxious Odour?
In a Public document from the Minister for Environment, David Templeman (dated 12 September 2007) it states:
“Odour Compliance Regulation”
Under section 49 of the Environmental Protection Act, it is an offence to cause or allow an unreasonable emission of odour. Unreasonable odours are defined as those that unreasonably interfere with the health, welfare, comfort and amenity of the public. An offence under this section is classified as a Tier Two offence.”
“Under the commitments made in the Ministerial Statement No 517, SMRC committed to ensuring that odours would be contained within an odour contour which extended approximately 200 metres from the RRRC boundary, but did not impact on residential areas. A commitment is legally binding and contravention of a commitment is a Tier One offence.”
Note from CMCOAG: Residents are experiencing the odour 1.5kms – 2kms away from the facility!
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“Prosecution actions under the Health Act 1911″
City of Canning Ownership of RRRC Site and Membership of SMRC:
The City of Canning is the owner of the land occupied by the RRRC and has a degree of involvement in the operation of the facility as a member of the SMRC. It is noted that prosecution actions under the Health Act 1911, including rectification measures identified under Section 184, are directed at both the operator and landowner of a subject property. In any enforcement action, the operator and the owner would be jointly liable if an identified nuisance was not satisfactorily abated. In the progression of any enforcement action under the Health Act, a circumstance may arise where the action by the City leads to a penalty being imposed on the City due to its position as landowner and member of the SMRC.
See more info here in regards to the May 13, 2008 Minutes of the City of Canning:
The RRRC Waste Composting Facility and the Health Act
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Calls to Disband Council!
As promised, below is the article from the Canning Times about the Canning Council Meeting 6pm, Tuesday, June 24th, 2008.
Newspaper Article:
http://cmcoag.com/news-articles/CanningTimesJune2008.gif
Residents who were fed up with the odour attended the council meeting on Tuesday 24th June, 2008 and showed their support for the councillors that do care about those of us experiencing the noxious odour from the RRRC Waste Composting Facility.
