Russell Tregonning

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The Health Effects of Lignite Coal mining
in Southland and Otago

• Russell Tregonning
• Ora Taiao

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Who are OraTaiaoNZ Climate Health?

• 140 senior doctors and other NZ health
  professionals gravely concerned about the impacts
  of climate change(CC) as the leading global
  health threat this century
• the threat from CC supercedes the mortality from
  heart disease, cancer, AIDS/HIV, the diabetes
  epidemic-all combined
• Source--recent editorials in leading
  international medical journals eg The British
  Medical Journal, The Lancet etc.

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Where do I come from?
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What do I do?
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Why am I talking about lignite?

• Burning coal? CO2?Climate change
• Climate Change is the 1global health hazard
• (World Health Organisation, World Medical Assoc.
  etc)
• Mining, processing and using coal is a health
  risk to people living locally
• Surgeons are charged- to advocate for
  improvements in individual and public health
• ( Aus. NZ College of Surgeons Code of Conduct)

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The cause of the current (unprecedented) rapid
change in climate.
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The global effects of climate change
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Why come to Mataura? -6 billion tonnes of
recoverable lignite NZ(pp) is already 4th
highest global GHG emitter
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Climate Change threatens all human health needs

• Adequate, safe water food
• Secure shelter settlements
• Freedom from major pathogenic organisms
• Clean air to breathe
• Political stability

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NZ- may be particularly attractive to climate
refugees
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Coals Assault on Human Health

• coal pollutants affect all major body organ
  systems and contribute to four of the five
  leading causes of mortality in the US heart
  disease, cancer, stroke, and chronic lower
  respiratory diseases
• .each step of the coal lifecyclemining,
  transportation, washing, combustion, and
  disposing of post- combustion wastesimpacts
  human health.
• Physicians For Social Responsibility-- Nov 2009
• www.psr.org/coalreport

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Possible direct health effects on
SouthlandersAIR POLLUTION

• Particulate matter from coal (particularly fly
  ash) contain carcinogens, heavy metals other
  toxic substances(eg Sox and Nox)
• These may cause-
• cancer, ?infant death ? neurol.dev (IQ)
• chronic heart, lung kidney diseases (cf US
  Appalachians)
• Asthma, diabetes, and ischaemic strokes

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Other possible direct health effects of open-
cast lignite mines on Southland-WATER POLLUTION

• Coal washing(? slurry),leaching of waste by
  water, and run-off can poison water for humans
  and aquatic life (eg Stockton)
• The Mataura River is a taonga

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Other direct health impacts of lignite mining

• Noise and vibration
• Accidents
• Dust
• Effects on vulnerable groups including children

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Indirect health impacts NB Definition of Health
(WHO)-complete physical,mental and social
well-being

• Loss of physical amenity-
• Visual pollution environ. desructn
• ?trucks ( road safety),
• ?space
• Economic,employment and income
• Social capital-migration, protest

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Solid Energys consents-pilot briquette plant

• - burn approx 15,000 tons of lignite and
  produce 600 tons of coal ash discharge per annum
  (the company describes the ash as benign)
• Already has consent for-
• -discharge 5805 cu metres of treated mine water
  into water (? get to Mataura River-surely
  must in time?)
• -discharge ash, sludge and general process
  water to land as backfill to a mine pit
• -discharge 50,000 tons of ash to land per
  annum at the New Vale mine
• -

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We know what to do to beat climate change-THE
LOW-C ECONOMY
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Also-The low-carbon economy improves our health

• HEALTHY TRANSPORT
• ?active public transport? ?physical activity
• safety on roads ?air pollution
• HEALTHY HOUSING
• energy efficiency?cheaper electricity warmer
  houses?less lung other disease

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My main reason for coming to Mataura?
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DO WE CARE?
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Do we care?

• About contributing to the global 1 health
  problem
• About our clean green image and protecting it
  against our export competitors
• About giving our children and theirs the
  downsides of fossil fuels while we enjoy the
  benefits
• About desecrating the fertile Mataura valley and
  risking the health of its residents
• If the answer is YES, we must
• KEEP THE COAL IN THE HOLE!

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Health Impact Assessment

• A formal process to predict the health effects of
  the lignite plans to allow mitigation of them
• Should be independent (not in-house), prospective
  comprehensive
• Investigates the health of the miners, the
  surrounding Mataura community, the waterways
  other environment which must include climate
  change

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WHAT CAN WE DO?

• PREVENTION
• Inform and educate New Zealanders about this
  project
• Appeal future consents to the Environment Court
• Organise protests. Stop asset sales
• 2. MITIGATION
• Support Public Health South in its application to
  Environment Southland for a comprehensive Health
  Impact Assessment-to include the worlds 1
  health problemclimate change

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ora taiao.org.nz
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REFERENCES

• Changing planet, changing health-Epstein Ferber
  Univ. Of California Press (2011)
• Storms of My Grandchildren-James
  Hansen-Bloomsbury Publishing (2009)
• Lignite Climate Change the high cost of low
  grade coal-Report of the parliamentary
  commissioner for the environment (Nov
  2010)-www.pce.parliament.nz
• Coals assault on human health-Physicians for
  Social Responsibility-www.psr.org/coalreport
• Lignite mining and processing in Southland New
  Zealand a fossil- fuelled disaster for current
  and future generations. Medical students for
  global Awareness. orataiao.org.nz
• My email- tregonningxtra.co.nz