From R. THOMAS
There is no disagreement between the Waste Management Authority and
State Pollution Control Commission of New South Wales on quantities of CFCs/Halons
in the Australian environment, as was stated by Sharon Beder in her footnote
on the SPCCs response to her article of 8 June (Letters, 20 July).
The key sentence in the SPCC letter is: ‘The industry predicts there
will probably be no surplus CFCs available for destruction.’ Contrary to
Beder’s statement, the WMA has discussed this issue with the SPCC and the
industry. The industry’s views are diverse and it cannot predict with confidence
how much, if any, CFCs will come forward for destruction. It seems to depend
on the model one adopts for factors like the quantity of CFCs coming out
of service each year (as old equipment is retired) and the ability of existing
equipment to absorb recycled CFCs.
In the end, when all possible recycling has been done, there must still
be a net amount left to be destroyed; otherwise it will be released to the
atmosphere and contribute to ozone damage. It is very difficult to calculate
the precise quantity that will finally come forward for destruction. The
WMA has been careful to say that the total bank of CFCs and halons in Australia
is up to 80,000 tonnes and that not all of this bank will necessarily be
destroyed. This figure originated as an estimate by the Joint Taskforce
on Intractable Waste before either the WMA or SPCC became involved. The
WMA has always been aware of the need to undertake a thorough review of
that estimate and this is planned.
R. Thomas Waste Management Authority of New South Wales, Australia
Advertisement
