By Noel Murphy
ANTI-ALCOA activists are under attack for allegedly misrepresenting claims by others about the Anglesea power station again.
The station’s union representative, Ben Davis, hit back at Surf Coast Air Action (SCAA) for claiming on its Facebook page he had acknowledged “widespread concern about Alcoa’s toxic emissions” in a recent media report.
Mr Davis, Australian Workers Union’s Victoria branch secretary, told the Independent he was unaware of any toxic emissions from the plant or staff suffering ill-effects.
SCAA has been campaigning for the plant to be closed.
“I’m amazed a group could be so adamant about throwing 80 people and their families on the jobless scrapheap. They’re not concerned about jobs and they should be,” Mr Davis said.
“I don’t think there are toxic emissions and haven’t heard any reports from any workers.”
Surf Coast Air Action’s Dr Jacinta Morahan said Mr Davis was “no doubt aware of SCAA’s website, Facebook page, Twitter account and press releases, all of which focus upon Alcoa’s toxic emissions”.
“In this context it beggars belief that Mr Davis was not talking about Alcoa’s toxic emissions when he said that he appreciated SCAA’s concerns.
“This is reinforced by (his) reference to helping the company and potential buyers investigate ways to improve the plant. This again is clearly a reference to toxic emisisons and the availability of pollutiion reduction technology.
“The concerns regarding the toxic emissions from Alcoa’s Angelsea coal mine and power station are well-known and widespread and were supported by environment minister Greg Hunt specifically mentioning Angelsea in a recent speech where he said ‘Particulate pollution is a killer’.
The SCAA came under criticism earlier this month for misleading comments about AGL Energy’s stance on the power plant after releasing a media statement headlined ‘AGL rules out buying Anglesea power station’ claiming the company blamed ‘negative effects” on residents’ health and wellbeing for its lack of interest in the facility.
AGL Energy and Alcoa labelled the release “misleading” and “wrong”.
