“It’s quite simple really, the burning of coal causes air pollution which causes a raft of adverse health impacts and increases the risk of severe climate events. If we are to improve our health and protect ourselves from future climate impacts, we must stop burning coal.”
- Dr John van der Kellen, Chair of Doctors for the Environment Australia
. 
11/9/23
To: The Honourable Chris Minns, Premier of New South Wales
Dear Premier Minns,
We write as health organisations concerned about recent public speculation regarding a potential extension of operations for Eraring power station beyond 2025, and the significant adverse health impacts of a delayed transition to renewable energy sources. Rather than spend potentially hundreds of millions of dollars of public money to support a polluting and harmful power station, we request that your government instead invest in an accelerated rollout of renewable energy to alleviate cost of living pressures and protect people’s health from toxic air pollution and potentially devastating extreme weather events associated with climate change.
As with all coal power stations, Eraring emits toxic pollutants that can cause cardiovascular disease, asthma exacerbations, lung cancers, diabetes mellitus, intrauterine growth restriction, preterm birth, and a range of other illnesses [1-3]. Children, pregnant people, older people and people with pre-existing conditions are most at risk of harm.
In addition, Eraring emits approximately 10 million tonnes of carbon dioxide every year [4]. Greenhouse gas emissions from Eraring and other coal power stations are a major driver of climate change which threatens Australians’ health by increasing the risk of potentially deadly heatwaves, bushfires and storms as well as affecting food and water supplies and increasing the spread of infectious diseases.
To limit these health impacts New South Wales must replace fossil fuel-based energy with renewable energy as fast as possible. We urge you to fast-track investment in and approval of Renewable Energy Zones such as Central-West Orana and New England while safeguarding local biodiversity and Indigenous rights. This is essential to secure clean, affordable and healthy energy for all.
We would welcome an opportunity to meet with you to discuss this further.
Sincerely,
The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners
The Australasian College for Emergency Medicine
Asthma Australia
The Australasian Epidemiological Association
The Climate and Health Alliance
Doctors for the Environment Australia
Healthy Futures
Lung Foundation Australia
The Public Health Association of Australia
The Thoracic Society of Australia and New Zealand
References:
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Lockwood, A.H., Welker-Hood, K., Rauch, M. and Gottlieb, B. (2009). Coal’s assault on human health: a report from Physicians for Social Responsibility. Retrieved from https://www.psr.org/blog/resource/coals-assault-on-human-health/ on Aug 28th, 2023
- Amster, E. and Lew Levy, C. (2019). Impact of coal-fired power plant emissions on children’s health: a systematic review of the epidemiological literature. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2019 Jun 5;16(11):2008. doi: 10.3390/ijerph16112008
- Liebig-Gonglach, M., Neunhäuserer, L., Kuenen, J., 3, Hoffmann, B., Soppa, V., Diegmann, V. and Hornberg, C. (2023) Environmental Burden of Disease due to Emissions of Hard Coal- and Lignite-Fired Power Plants in Germany. Int J Public Health 68:1606083. doi: 10.3389/ijph.2023.1606083
- Australian Government Clean Energy Regulator. (2023). Electricity sector emissions and generation data 2021–22. Retrieved from https://www.cleanenergyregulator.gov.au/NGER/National%20greenhouse%20and%20energy%20reporting%20data/electricity-sector-emissions-and-generation-data/electricity-sector-emissions-and-generation-data-2021%E2%80%9322 on Aug 28th, 2023
Further quotes:
"RACGP supports the call to Premier Minns and his Government to address Greenhouse gas emissions from Eraring and other coal power stations. Greenhouse gases are a major driver of climate change, which threatens every Australian’s health by increasing the risk of potentially deadly heatwaves, bushfires and storms, affecting food and water supplies and increasing the spread of infectious diseases.”
- Professor Charlotte Hespe, Chair of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners NSW&ACT Faculty
“It’s quite simple really, the burning of coal causes air pollution which causes a raft of adverse health impacts and increases the risk of severe climate events. If we are to improve our health and protect ourselves from future climate impacts, we must stop burning coal.”
- Dr John van der Kellen, Chair of Doctors for the Environment Australia
“The Australasian Epidemiological Association strongly advocates for the rapid transition to renewable energy. Epidemiologists have been reporting the health consequences of exposure to pollutants from coal fired power stations for decades. Epidemiological modelling now foresees a growing burden of poor health and premature mortality directly linked to climate change”
- A/Prof Brigid Lynch, President of the Australasian Epidemiological Association
“We support the Healthy Futures letter regarding the possible extension of operations for Eraring power station beyond 2025. The NSW Government cannot justify keeping the power station open at the expense of taxpayers and has no time to waste in retiring coal-fired power and replacing it with renewable energy sources. Urgent action is needed by the NSW Government, or the health consequences of climate change will worsen”
- A/Professor Kate McBride, PHAA NSW Branch President