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Health risks from plantationsTests have shown that drinking water has been contaminated by Eucalyptus plantations in Tasmania - and the same species are being planted in the Strzeleckis - putting many residents at risk. By Phil Westwood - 16th March 2010 - Back to News
Health risks for people living in Gippsland and drinking water potentially contaminated by the timber industry have been a serious issue for years – but in recent weeks attention has been more focussed.
Scientific tests in north-eastern Tasmania have shown that plantation eucalyptus trees could be playing a key role in poisoning the George River.
The George River supplies the town of St Helens with its drinking water. The toxicity result followed a marathon investigation by independent scientists and a local doctor, Alison Bleaney, who was concerned about unexplained health complaints amongst her patients in the town, widespread deaths of local shellfish and illnesses affecting local marsupials.
Dr. Bleaney and scientist Marcus Scammell spent several years testing for an answer.
Toxicity tests suggested the plantations of shining gum trees - Eucalyptus nitens - were the probable source of the toxins.
The Tasmanian Environment Protection Authority has set up an independent panel to investigate the issues and risks.
In the Strzeleckis there are many townships which rely on water from creeks and rivers – such as Middle Creek and the Tarra River – and the risks to those families are just as great. Dumbalk and Meeniyan residents are probably most at risk with more than 2000ha of nitens alongside their drinking water resurce.
According to Hancock Victorian Plantations, the US-owned company which operates here, its nitens crop covers about 5600 hectares of Gippsland, mostly grown in pockets across the Strzeleckis.
Further details at http://bassbush.htmlplanet.com/cgi-bin/blog
Source: http://gippsland.com/ Published by: freeranger@dcsi.net.au
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