EPA Recommends Biomass Power Plant for Manjimup

The proposed site is part of a lease currently used for the WAPRES Diamond Timber Mill, located approximately 10km south of the Manjimup town site.

EPA Chairman, Paul Vogel, said the EPA had concluded that the proposal could be managed to meet the EPA's environmental objectives, provided there is satisfactory implementation by the proponent of the recommended conditions.

"The proposal uses best practice technology, has low emissions, would result in greenhouse gas savings of approximately 280,000tpa of carbon dioxide-equivalent units and contributes to achieving the 20 per cent renewable energy target set in The Premier’s Climate Change Action Statement," Dr Vogel said.

"The controlled combustion of plantation waste would produce significantly less emissions, when compared to current open burning practices, decreasing the pollutant load currently emitted to the region's airshed."

Concerns raised in submissions to the EPA about air quality modelling methods have been addressed in the report.

Toxikos Pty Ltd undertook a health risk assessment which concluded that direct health risks from primary and secondary exposure to emissions, including NO2, PM10, PM2.5, PAH and dioxins, are low. The Department of Health advised that it agrees with this conclusion provided that the proponent satisfactorily implements management measures set out in the Public Environmental Review and Response to Submissions.

A review of the potential impacts of the biomass power plant emissions on grapes and wine by Smart Viticulture found that the predicted ground level concentrations of these emissions are so low as to be orders of magnitude lower than the sensory threshold concentrations in wine.

The final decision will be made by the Minister for the Environment.

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