[Greens-Media] Morwell ash 'has to be experienced to be believed' - Barber

[Elizabeth.Ingham at parliament.vic.gov.au]

Victorian Greens leader Greg Barber, in Morwell today, says the community 
wants urgent answers on the health risks of the ash raining on the town 
from the Hazelwood coal mine fire.

"The ash from the Hazelwood fire is raining down on Morwell and it has to 
be experienced to be believed. People are walking the streets in surgical 
masks, it's in your eyes, it's working its way inside every building. I 
can feel it as grit between my teeth," said Greg Barber MLC

"Two weeks after this fire started, the Environment Protection Authority 
and Department of Health are only starting to monitor, sample and test. We 
haven't got the results yet, but fly ash produced by coal fired power 
stations is not good stuff."

"It's in people's houses in great quantities. The Country Fire Authority 
is referring health-related questions to the other agencies but those 
aren't saying anything useful. Reassurances not based on information are 
not reassuring."

"They've just added a Morwell South monitoring station close to the fire, 
and it's showing six times the pollution the Morwell East one has been 
reading. We need all information on air quality collected so far to be 
made public, so people can make their own decisions. People urgently want 
to know what's in this ash and whether they need to take steps to limit 
their exposure to it. Those who can are leaving town. We need financial 
compensation to homes and businesses for cleaning bills, lost income and 
other out of pocket costs," said Mr Barber

For comment: Greg Barber - 0433 044 771

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Liz Ingham
Office of Greg Barber MLC
Northern Metropolitan Region
Victorian Greens Leader

P: 9348 2622
M: 0409 333 595
E: elizabeth.ingham at parliament.vic.gov.au
W: http://mps.vic.greens.org.au

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Parliament of Victoria                                                                                                                    . 
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