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The Future Sooner Citizens Inquiry into pollution from burning coal uncovered disturbing health stories from long- and short-term residents living near Eraring and Vales Point power stations in NSW and those who had lived near decommissioned sites at Lake Munmorah-Colongra and Wangi Wangi.
“Life-threatening asthma, emphysema, respiratory disease, bowel, brain, blood, breast, sinus, throat and mouth cancers – stories from an array of witnesses were presented at today’s Citizens Inquiry,” said Dr Ian Charlton, Chair Citizens Inquiry Panel.
“People are worried that the coal-fired power stations are making them sick, and the government is silent,” he said.
“Impacted communities were promised a public health study as the outcome of a Parliamentary Inquiry in 2022 but nothing has been done. Some of the stories are overwhelming,” Dr Charlton said.
Corinne gave evidence that both she, her husband and family have had active healthy lifestyles. Both she and her husband received cancer diagnoses, and their very healthy daughter was diagnosed with asthma as a teenager. She asks, could it be the power station pollution causing their conditions?
Steve told how his perfectly healthy grandmother died of emphysema 15 years after moving to Budgewoi. His father moved up from Sydney to look after her only to develop emphysema and cancer himself. In the last 12 months his aunt had oral cancer removed.
Steve moved up from Sydney to look after his father and his aunt. Now he now oral cancer and has developed an auto-immune condition the doctors cannot trace to a cause. To top all this off, four of Steve’s dogs died from rare cancers. Canaries in the coal mine?
Then there was the couple who moved to a housing estate near Vales Point. They are thinking of doing a letterbox drop of their estate because they have heard of so many nearby residents currently being treated for various cancers.
The Inquiry heard several anonymous statements. The Inquiry members heard how some people had been intimidated because, as part of their previous employment, they had to sign non-disclosure agreements.
One anonymous witness described being a non-drinker and non-smoker living within a few kilometers of Munmorah power station and being diagnosed with throat cancer that metastasized to lymph nodes and lungs.
Another told about a man who had worked at both Vales Point and Eraring power stations who was diagnosed with severe asthma and blood cancer.
Dr Charlton said, in addition to the mountain of evidence already in the public domain from reliable sources about the health impacts of micro-particulate pollution and heavy metals, the Citizens Inquiry gave the community its first chance to speak out and tell their stories about how it affects their health.
As there is only one major industry on the Central Coast and Lake Macquarie – coal-fired power stations, given the number of respiratory and cancer diseases that were presented to the Inquiry, on the grounds of probability one must point the finger to Eraring & Vales Point power stations.
“We will now take all the evidence gathered from today and from our intensive ongoing research of the impacts from coal fired power stations and their ash dams and put together a report,” Dr Charlton said.
“Our final report will involve all levels of government as well as international organisations such as the United Nations and World Health Organisation.”
“It was brave of residents to come forward and speak. The panel will work hard to produce a report that reflects both their experiences and the evidence and make recommendations that benefits the community. Let’s hope, the Citizens Inquiry recommendations, unlike the Coal Ash Inquiry, will be
immediately implemented.”
