The Health Effects
of Lignite Coal mining
in Southland and Otago
Russell Tregonning
Ora Taiao
Who are OraTaiao:
NZ 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.
Where do I come from?
What do I do?
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)
The cause of the current
(unprecedented) rapid
change in climate.
The global effects of
climate change
Why come to Mataura?
-6 billion tonnes of recoverable lignite
NZ(pp) is already 4th highest global GHG emitter
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
NZ- may be particularly
attractive to climate refugees
Coal’s 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 lifecycle—mining,
transportation, washing, combustion, and
disposing of post- combustion wastes—impacts
human health.”
Physicians For Social Responsibility-- Nov 2009
www.psr.org/coalreport
Possible direct health
effects on Southlanders
AIR 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
Other possible direct health effects of
open- cast lignite mines on SouthlandWATER 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
Other direct health impacts
of lignite mining
•Noise and
vibration
•Accidents
•Dust
•Effects on
vulnerable groups
including children
Indirect health impacts
NB Definition of Health (WHO)=complete physical,mental and social well-being
o Loss of physical amenity• Visual pollution & environ. desructn
• trucks ( road safety),
• space
o Economic,employment and income
o Social capital-migration, protest
Solid Energy’s consentspilot 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
-
We know what to do to beat
climate change-
THE LOW-C ECONOMY
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
My main reason for coming to Mataura?
DO WE CARE?
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!
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
WHAT CAN WE DO?
1. 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 world’s #1 health
problem—climate change
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
• Coal’s 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- tregonning&xtra.co.nz