The NSW government will allow a new coal-fired plant at Mt Piper to discharge pollutants into a river system providing Sydney’s drinking water, despite current legal action over high levels of toxic heavy metals already released into the river from an existing coal-fired power station, according to the Nature Conservation Council of NSW.
Heavy metal pollution from Wallerawang Power Station near Lithgow has been found to pollute the Cox's River, which flows through the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area to Warragamba Dam. The NSW government is proposing to build a second larger coal powered station next to Wallerawang at Mt Piper. This would vastly increase the water pollution into this world class reserve.
“This proposed new coal power station is a disaster on many fronts,” said Acting Chief Executive Officer Dr Haydn Washington.
“Firstly, it would increase NSW's carbon pollution. Secondly it would exacerbate the pollution of both the World Heritage Area and Sydney's water supply.
“The NSW government must put the community’s right to clean water before the interests of carbon polluters.
“It's time the NSW government accepted that coal-fired power stations are not the responsible or sustainable approach to the future. They pollute on many fronts.
“NSW should lead the way as the clean energy state and abandon new coal-fired power stations,” Dr Washington said.
