An Adelaide cement factory has been given permission to burn more plastic waste for fuel in a decision the local council plans to challenge in court.
Port Adelaide’s Adbri cement factory has been at the center of local controversy over emissions for decades, but health officials insist emissions are at safe levels.
Last week, the South Carolina Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) approved a six-week trial that will allow Adbri to use large amounts of “resource-derived fuel” (RDF), which is sourced primarily from the construction sector.
The factory’s kilns can burn up to 32 tons of plastic per hour at concentrations of up to 20 percent.
The facility was approved to burn more plastic waste during a six-week trial. (ABC News: Daniel Taylor)
RDF will power cement kilns at up to 10 tons per hour and 50 percent plastic concentration starting Tuesday, but the EPA’s website says “there is no expectation that (the speeds) will be maintained on an ongoing basis.”
Port Adelaide-Enfield City Council last week voted to seek “urgent legal advice” regarding a court injunction.
The council also wants the government to institute “independent oversight” of the trial, in addition to the EPA’s final decision and 24-hour archive monitoring.
Port Adelaide-Enfield Mayor Claire Boan told 891 ABC Adelaide’s morning show that residents were concerned about the long-term health effects.
“I haven’t seen any kind of national data that really explains that this is safe for our community. That’s a big concern.” she said.
“It’s not about shutting them down.
“They’ve certainly been living there for 100 years, but we’ve been building homes here. That’s really important and should be considered as well.”
Claire Bohan is concerned about the impact on the environment. (ABC News: Daniel Taylor)
Adbri has been using RDF since the early 2000s and said it has diverted at least 2.7 million tons of landfill waste while reducing dependence on fossil fuels.
“The RDF proposed for use in testing is a highly processed synthetic fuel that must meet strict EPA standards and quality controls before it can be used.” a spokesperson said.
Tony Bazley, a long-standing member of the Port Adelaide Residents Environmental Group, said the factory was located 50 meters from homes and there had been complaints of odor around the site.
“RDF is used because it has economic benefits for the company,” he said.
Tony Bazley says residents want more information. (ABC News: Daniel Taylor)
Mr Bazley said his group was seeking more information about long-term plans for the site, which he described as “too contaminated”.
“The company isn’t particularly open about what it does. It does release information, but it’s very general,” he said.
“We won’t know the outcome until the trial is well behind us, but that’s not enough.”
EPA ‘doesn’t expect’ to detect plastics
EPA Director of Compliance Stephen Serge said pollutant monitoring will be conducted at various locations, including smokestacks on-site, and there will be “ambient air quality” monitoring in the community.
Adbri was allowed to burn more “waste-derived fuel”. (ABC News: Daniel Taylor)
He said data will be collected on emissions of different types of particles, sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides.
“The kiln temperature is 1,400 degrees Celsius, so RDF, including plastic, paper, cardboard and wood, is expected to burn completely,” he said.
“No plastic emissions are expected.
“There are parameters set in the license and as soon as those parameters are exceeded, especially with respect to air quality, the trial will be stopped.”
Stephen Serge said the trial was being held under strict conditions. (ABC News: Daniel Taylor)
Sergi said the EPA is conducting unannounced inspections at the site and a report is expected to be submitted within 90 days of the test completion.
“This will include all the monitoring data we requested…and an assessment of how the trial went,” he said.
“We are particularly interested in community input, plant stability, site emissions, and RDF consistency, as ensuring plant stability provides assurance that site emissions are controlled and within limits.”
SA Health said it was aware of the trial and reiterated its general health advice to the community.
“Standard precautionary advice for residents with access to water is to Drinking water from tanks should be avoided in areas that may be affected by traffic or industrial emissions,” the statement said.
“Rainwater collected in tanks generally contains few chemicals, but it can increase contamination from airborne contaminants from high-traffic or industrial areas.”
The EPA says it expects to submit a report within 90 days of the study’s completion. (ABC News: Daniel Taylor)
