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Filed Under Curt Hennig | Posted on April 20, 2008
Large amounts of silt have washed into Botany Bay only two days
after the first pipe was laid for the NSW Government’s
controversial desalination plant at Kurnell, in Sydney’s south.
The pipe is the first of 2000 links that will form an 18 kilometre
pipeline connecting the plant with Sydney’s main water supply
tunnel at Erskineville.
The pipe system will cross Botany Bay and go over open and
industrial areas, but will tunnel under roads in residential
areas.
But a problem with the silt curtain yesterday meant sand and soil
from the site leaving the construction area was washed by the heavy
rain into Botany Bay, Sydney Water said.
“Unfortunately today’s unusually low tide combined with heavy rain
meant the silt curtain was caught on the sand and didn’t properly
refloat. This meant some silt ended up in Botany Bay,” read a
letter Sydney Water sent to residents yesterday.
“We do not believe this will have any long-term environmental
impact on the bay.”
Sydney Water said from now on it would be performing daily
maintenance checks of the silt curtain, as well as monitoring water
quality in the bay.
About 20 residents today joined Scott Morrison, local federal
member for Cook, to protest against the spill.
Mr Morrison called on federal Environment Minister Peter Garrett to
intervene and protect Botany Bay against further environmental
damage.
“All work must stop on the pipeline until residents are given a
clear commitment by the state government that there will be no
further damage to the bay and that residents’ homes will be
protected from any damage caused by the pipeline construction,” he
said in a statement.
“Mr Garrett must meet Kurnell residents next week to discuss their
concerns and put pressure on Morris Iemma and NSW Labor to get
their act together.”
Next week drilling will begin in the area which Sydney Water says
will cause homes to shake by earth vibrations and might cause some
residents to move out temporarily.
AAP
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