Desalination
Environmental effects on our coastlines
"The energy consumption (by a desalination plant) is enormous, the intrusion on the community is enormous and, of course, it's extraordinarily expensive."
Steve Bracks, premier of Victoria, November 2006
The common misconception that the brine stream byproduct of desalination is 'just salt' has been challenged by warnings of heavy metals and industrial chemicals in the discharge. Comprehensive Environmental Effects Statements must completed before any deaslination plant can be constructed anywhere on Australia's coastline & the more environmentally friendly alternative of water recycling must first be considered.
Effect of Brine Stream Discharge from Desalination
Brine discharge (a byproduct of the desalination process) is composed of not only concentrated salt, but also of industrial chemicals and heavy metals swept out of the plant by this highly corrosive fluid.
Professor Jorg Imberger, chairman of the Centre for Water Research at UWA, believes the brine stream being pumped out of the Kwinana desalination plant in WA will result in a massive 40 per cent of Cockburn Sound being covered in salt and eventually dying.
Source: www.ce.utexas.edu/prof/hodges/project_pages/project_desalination_brine.htm
Energy Use
The proposed Wonthaggi desalination plant in Victoria would be the largest in the Southern Hemisphere generating at least 924,990 tonnes of CO2 equivalent gas per year. This is equivalent to having 205,553 more cars on the road.
*Plant operating 24 hours a day - 7 days a week. Plant powered by brown coal electricity.
Legal Ramifications
Any major desalination project should not proceed without an environment effects statement (EES) and associated public inquiry. Any fast-tracking of these normal administrative processes can be challenged legally.
Due to matters of national environmental significance, the protective measures under the Federal Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act sould be applied so as to ensure any development undergoes proper and independent environmental effects analysis.
It must be noted that a under a state sanctioned EES, the minister responsible for the works specifies if a statement is required as well as the specific procedures and requirements that apply. This therefor does not ensure an independent EES process is taking place.
A federal process should include an environmental impact statement (EIS). The federal process is prefered to that of the state as the minister responsible for deciding whether the proposal has significant environmental effects is independent of the state government that is in partnership with the proponents of the project.
Other Environmental Effects
The Californian Coastal Commision lists these potential impacts of
desalination plants on the environment:
-Potential Coastal Zone Impacts
-Air quality
-Commercial and recreational fishing
-Construction impacts on land and marine species and habitats
-Energy use
-Growth-inducing effects
-Marine resources impacts from feedwater intake and ocean discharge
-Navigation
-Noise
-Potential hazardous releases from accidents
-Public access
-Recreation
-Visual quality
-Water quality
-Water quantity (e.g., effects of drawdown or saltwater intrusion of
groundwater wells)
-Cumulative impacts
Campaign
The Clean Ocean Foundation opposes the construction of desalination plants anywhere on Australia's coastline. The Foundation will endevour to challenge the construction of these plants, study the impacts of existing operations and raise awareness of their damaging environmental effects.
Source: www.cormix.info/picgal/brine.php
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