Tuesday 15 April 2008

How clean are our Northern Rivers valleys?

The Australian National Pollution Inventory allows you to take a tour of your area by post code and see exactly what significant pollutants are considered to occur in local industry.
Something perhaps NSW North Coast residents in all our many valleys should be doing.

Here is a snapshot of northern NSW Clarence Valley basically listing the substances which are required to be reported.

Yamba post code area only has 2 substances from 7 sources, which are nitrogen and phosphorus coming from agricultural activity.
Across the Clarence River and into the Iluka post code area showed that a very similar profile existed to that in Yamba.
While in the Maclean post code the plot thickens with 10 substances out of 15 sources, mostly coming from mineral, metal and chemical wholesaling with some from agricultural activity.
In the Harwood post code there were 33 substances from 8 sources, mainly coming from the sugar manufacturing in the area.
Grafton post code had 28 substances from 20 sources, adding log sawmilling, timber dressing and other wood product manufacturing to the first two broad categories.

Unfortunately this only tells a fraction of a very complex story - a little herbicide or pesticide anyone?

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