Letter written to the Canberra Times on the effects of using poisoned trees in the charcoal plant

The EIS for the proposed Charcoal plant at Mossy Point-Broulee (not Mogo nor Moruya) admits that the charcoal making process will produce Dioxins and Furans but gives no specifications. There is no safe level of exposure to this toxic carcinogen and each exposure is cumulative. Timber for charcoal production mined from the coastal strip will have a large amount of Sodium Chloride (Salt) from the continual sea spray which cover the forest right to the top of the mountains every day. These trees with the extra Salt will produce more dioxins than normal charcoal production. If or when trees with "Tordon" (Chlorine based, when burnt is a major source of Dioxin) are used in the the charcoal process even greater amounts of Dioxins will be produced. But worse still is State Forests stated that Tordon poisoned trees would be used for fence posts and "FIREWOOD" for domestic woodheaters, already the largest source of air pollution on the coast and esp. in Canberra, the secdond most air polluted city in Australia behind Launceston Tas.

Frank Stanton