Energy Brix Australia’s plans to establish an asbestos cell at the old Morwell Power Station remain in limbo after Latrobe City councillors were unable to reach a decision on the emotive matter at a council meeting last night.
The EPA has approved the plans to store 15,000 cubic meters of asbestos from the power station in a deep sealed off ash pit, however some councillors were not satisfied with the proposal citing concerns about community safety.
Council officers the plan be approved, however Cr Graeme Middlemiss moved an alternate motion to refuse the permit, which was voted down by councillors and placed the original recommendation back on the table.
The original recommendation was also voted down by councillors and the matter will now go before councillors at the next ordinary council meeting in July.
Cr Middlemiss expressed concerns around the proximity of the proposed asbestos cell to Morwell and suggested another location further away from Morwell, but was unsure if the land belonged to EBAC.
“At no point have I said that the burying [of the asbestos] will be unsafe,” he said.
“What is suggested was that we doubled the distance from Morwell. Instead of in front of briquette factory, we bury it behind the briquette factory.
“If the process isn’t done properly, who will suffer? The people of Morwell.”
Cr Alan McFarlane said he was satisfied with the plans considering they had been approved by the EPA.
“I am not an expert, but I would expect the EPA are,” he said.
EBAC remediation project manager Barry Dungey said there were “no risks” and the debate had become full of emotion.
“The brutal fact is there is no asbestos dump this side of Melbourne that can take this amount of [asbestos],” he said.
“If there was another location nearer, that would be great.
“We picked an area that will never be built on, discrete and removed from where people can see it.”
Asbestos Council of Victoria/GARDS chief executive Vicki Hamilton said the proposed asbestos cell was the safest option for all concerned as it did not involve trucks carrying large amounts of asbestos material long distances.
“We believe the EPA in conjunction with [EBAC] have explored all the options on the site,” she told the meeting.
“The site picked is appropriate for containment. The proximity to town is not really a problem. This is all being taken care of, wrapped, taken to this facility.
“They are offering air monitoring every time it is opened and [the site] will be sat-naved for later generations.”
More in Thursday’s Express.
