Air quality fails test

MICHELLE PAINE

February 26, 2009 08:58am

AIR quality during last year's forestry burns was not = satisfactory,=20 says Tasmania's Environment Protection Agency.

EPA head = Warren Jones=20 was addressing about 200 people at a smoke-management forum organised by = the=20 forest industry at the University of Tasmania School of Art.=20

"The air quality in autumn 2008 was not, in my view, satisfactory," = Mr Jones=20 said.

Mr Jones and several scientists gave reports on how forestry burns = this=20 autumn should be less harmful than previous years, because of a new = standard to=20 keep them within new guidelines.

They said monitoring points would be put in some of the "airsheds" -- = through=20 which smoke is funnelled -- around the state.

Also, no-burning days might be set so smoke levels stay within = prescribed=20 limits.

A forestry consultant said 100 units of 50ha each would not have been = burned=20 this year if the new modelling had been in place.

Forestry Tasmania said wood-fired power stations would address the = community=20 concerns over burns, as well as create renewable energy.

Michael Wood, Forestry's assistant general manager for strategic = business,=20 said wood residue left after logging would be burnt in a closed station, = rather=20 than in the open, minimising toxic pollutants in the atmosphere.

Wilderness Society senior forest campaigner Vica Bayley said the = greatest=20 challenge to humanity -- climate change -- had not been addressed at the = forum.=20

"It was a cynical use of a public smoke forum to push the divisive = topic of=20 burning Tasmania's native forests to generate electricity," Mr Bayley=20 said.

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