Howard Tankey

Background

In July 1995 the Koonung Mullum Forestway Association (KMFA) Health Committee reviewed the medical literature covering the effects of petrol and diesel vehicle emissions on the respiratory health of people.

The review covered the period from 1990 to 1994. Whilst the search was not exhaustive, it examined the summaries of 87 papers from 19 countries.

From this extensive work it was possible to conclude:

 1. Vehicle emissions cause premature death in susceptible groups. A typical susceptible group would be those elderly people prone to respiratory illness.

 2. Exposure to vehicle emissions increases a person’s chance of contracting lung diseases, including lung cancer.

 3. Exposure to vehicle emissions can cause low level respiratory symptoms in a significant proportion of the population, especially the young and the elderly.

 4. A proportion of the population prone to respiratory diseases, including asthma, will have their symptoms made worse by vehicle emissions.

 5. Components of vehicle emissions can affect the immune system and can induce chromosomal change.

 6. Identifiable metabolic reactions can be demonstrated which explain, in part, some of the symptoms described in Conclusions 1 to 4.

 7. Of the components of fuel or emissions, fine particulates, polyaromatic hydrocarbons and synergistic effects between these and other components are among the most likely culprits. Consequently diesel fuel emissions are the cause of most concern.

These conclusions supported those reached in the major report of the Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution presented to the English Parliament in October 1994. (18th Report: Transport and the Environment) This 325-page document has strongly influenced the policy of the English Government to change the balance of transport towards a greater dependence on non-road transport modes.

At the time of their 1995 review, the KMFA believed the evidence was sufficiently damning to prevent the construction of the Eastern Freeway through the Koonung valley. The Health Act allows Local Government to abate any development which may cause ill health. The Catch-22 of the situation was that the nuisance had to be in existence.

Medical literature—an update

The KMFA Health Committee has recently completed a review of the literature covering the period 1994 to 1997.

One hundred and forty-nine abstracts were examined.

Nineteen countries were represented in this work. Significantly, Australia has not shown up in either this or the previous search.

A precise, mathematical demonstration of a causal relationship between vehicle emissions and ill health is difficult due to the many confounding factors. It is certainly more difficult than for cigarettes. However, the medical evidence continues to build a strong case against the damaging effects of vehicle emissions.

Implications for the extension of the Eastern Freeway

Any Government activity must be in harmony with the following two principles:

 • All Governments have duty of care as a primary consideration for any anticipated action. These principles are embodied in the Health Act.

 • All Governments must follow the procedures they put in place.

Conclusion

This submission supports the following recommendation:

The 1987 EES is clearly unsatisfactory for many reasons. In relation to this submission it is unsatisfactory because it failed to properly acknowledge the medical evidence available at the time. But more importantly it is woefully out of date in that much of the really significant evidence has come to light since the 1987 EES was completed.