Fed: Garrett says Gunns unlikely to meet pulp mill deadline

AAP General News (Australia)
08-22-2008
Fed: Garrett says Gunns unlikely to meet pulp mill deadline

Timber company Gunns is unlikely to meet a deadline for providing environmental information
for its proposed two billion dollar pulp mill in Tasmania .. and Environment Minister
PETER GARRETT says it hasn't asked for an extension of time.

Mr GARRETT says so far he's approved just four of the 16 modules of the environmental
management plan for the mill.

He says others have gone back to Gunns for extra information and have to be resubmitted
.. some are with the Environment Department .. one's gone to the expert panel for assessment
.. and there's no sign of another.

Mr GARRETT's told ABC radio given the time it's taken Gunns to get the four successful
modules delivered .. it's unlikely they're going to meet the October 4 deadline for the
rest.

Australian Greens senator CHRISTINE MILNE yesterday challenged Mr GARRETT to release
a CSIRO report on the impact of the mill releasing 64 thousand tonnes of effluent into
Bass Strait every day.

Senator MILNE'S request for the report to be released under Freedom of Information
laws has been rejected .. but Mr GARRETT says she can appeal the decision .. which was
made by his department because the report contained preliminary and unverified data.

AAP RTV mb/mfh/bart

KEYWORD: PULP (CANBERRA)

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