Something stinks up Stockton way and SawHole is all over it....... hang on. That did not come out right.
Rumour has it that Erin Brockovich will be storming Stockton to get to the botton of the recent issues. For a while there, I was so excited for SawHole getting to meet Julia Roberts..... hang on. That does not seem right.
SawHole writes..........
Erin Brockovich, the environmental campaigner who was immortalised inthe self-titled movie that won Julia Roberts an Oscar, is coming to my town. That can never be a good thing.
I live in a cute little town called Stockton, NSW. It is one minute by ferry to Newcastle, possesses some amazing sand dunes and is a greatplace for whale watching. It's also within eyeshot of heavy industry and this is where the big problem started.
Two weeks ago, a company called Orica released hexavalent chromium (the Brockovich chemical) into the air around Stockton. They did not tell anyone about it for 16 hours and when they did tell the government, the people who are expected to protect us, sat on it for 56 hours.
As our Federal Politician Sharon Grierson said: "Orica manufactures ammonium nitrate and nitric acid. It is an inherently dangerous business. In Newcastle, we understand that."
One would assume then that both Orica and the NSW Government would immediately act to notify affected citizens...Such faith has been misplaced. The people of Newcastle are justifiably irate.
Ms Grierson asked: "What justification can there be for waiting for 56 hours top advise residents?"
The contamination zone included a childcare centre, where children had been playing outside on the day after the incident. Miss Charisma attends the pre-school down the road but if she had attended that daycare centre, the NSW Minister for the Environment, Robyn Parker, would have found me on her doorstep.
This is not acceptable. In no way do I think there was a conspiracy to withold the information, it was more blatant incompetence by Orica and Ms Parker. Someone has some serious explaining to do.
As the hapless footsoilders of the Department of Health trudged through my neighbourhood last week, I could not help but think there had been a massive breakdown of trust between the government, Orica and the residents of Stockton.
Madam Bipolar aka SawHole
Living with and supporting others with bipolar disorder.
Bipolar resources and bipolar advocacy
http://madambipolar.blogspot.com
Sidekick and Social Director of Mrs Woog
How would you feel if this happened in YOUR backyard?
