18 October 1999

The Hon. Carl Scully
Minister for Roads
Level 34, Governor Macquarie
Tower 1 Farrer Place
SYDNEY NSW 2010

Dear Minister

Tunnel Ventilation Air Pollution

I write on behalf of constituents who are angry about the unfiltered tunnel ventilation stacks in the inner city for the Eastern Distributor and the proposed Cross City Tunnel. I also write in support of Sydney residents concerned about the flawed planning and environmental assessment processes associated with the single unfiltered stack for the M5 East tunnel.

Urgent Action Needed to Reduce Vehicle Emissions

Air pollution is a major concern for Sydney residents. The EPA reports that nitrogen oxides, caused by vehicle emissions, continue increasing, while ozone and fine particulate matter from vehicle exhausts remain serious concerns. There is increasing international concern from environmentalists, residents, health researchers over increasing scientific evidence about the dangers of vehicle emissions. Despite this, the RTA continues to support large-scale freeway developments which induce increased traffic, and it fails to give priority to improved public transport, cycleways and pedestrian access.

Without comprehensive action to address vehicle pollution, we are facing escalating costs to Government and the community from increases in the regional incidence of asthma, lung cancer and leukaemia related to high pollution.

Concerns about Unfiltered Ventilation Stacks

Residents fear that the operation of unfiltered tunnel stacks will concentrate vehicle emission near their homes, both in the vicinity of the stacks and adjacent to the tunnel portals. I am informed that the stacks are quite low by most international standards and during certain weather conditions could result in concentrated emissions being forced back down on local residents,

The community also believes that the Government has failed to implement filtration technology which could significantly aid Sydney's serious pollution problems, opting instead for ventilation stacks that spread the tunnel emissions into the Sydney smog zone.

I am also concerned that wind tunnel testing is of limited benefit for the complicated terrain in the inner city and the operation of ventilation stacks on the Eastern Distributor and Cross City Tunnel could be seriously compromised by future multi-story development. I understand that the modelling for the Eastern Distributor needed to be checked following the construction of the "Horizon" apartments. In the absence of filtration systems, strict Development Controls and height limits must be prepared for areas adjacent to the ventilation stacks to eliminate any chance that new multi-story developments will result in emissions being concentrated locally.

Air Purification Systems For Tunnel Exhaust

I have raised these issues with representatives of the Roads and Traffic Authority on several occasions and urged a commitment to implementing filtration technology. RTA representatives have argued that the technology is either unavailable or uneconomical.

However, I am informed by Mark Curren of RAPS (Residents against Polluting Stacks) that developments in Japan and Norway point the direction for a real advance in alleviation of the environmental effects of road tunnels. These countries have built more than half of the long road tunnels in the world and have pioneered the use of air cleaning equipment to protect the environment and people living near the tunnel outlets.

I have been told by Mr Curren that that electrostatic precipitator equipment has proven successful both in reducing particulate matter under normal usage and in reducing smoke and maintaining visibility in tunnels. Gas purification systems for the removal of oxides of nitrogen (NO_X) are under development and test in Norway, Austria and Japan. NOX purification systems have the added bonus of removing sulphur dioxide from the air.

Mr Curren argues that the technology to remove particulate matter from tunnel exhaust is freely available worldwide and would add little to the overall cost of the project. He informs me that in Norway, this technology led to reductions in the overall cost of tunnel projects. If this overseas experience is duplicated here, it will lead to cleaner air in Sydney, significant savings in the cost of planning and constructing the project, and a long term reduction in costs for the health system. Any cost involved in essential filtration should be treated as integral to the project, rather than transferred to the environment, the community and the health system.

Call for Action

I call on you to immediately seek detailed technical information from international projects with a view to retro-fitting air purification systems on the Eastern Distributor and designing all future road tunnels with these systems. The New South Wales Government must invest in research and development for more effective filtration systems as an integral component of its road construction program.

In the absence of air purification systems, strict Development Controls must be implemented to prohibit new multi-story buildings in the area that could interfere with the operation of the ventilation stacks and result exhaust fumes being concentrated locally.

Yours sincerely

Clover Moore
Member for Bligh

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