Mariann Lloyd-Smith - Academia.edu (original) (raw)
Papers by Mariann Lloyd-Smith
Marine pollutants are impacting the health of our oceans, their inhabitants and those dependent o... more Marine pollutants are impacting the health of our oceans, their inhabitants and those dependent on oceans for food, culture and their very survival. Everyday an ever-increasing cocktail of intentional and unintentional chemical releases, as well as an unrelenting tidal wave of wastes, particularly plastic waste, enters our waterways and the marine environment.Ocean pollutants include persistent organic pollutants (POPs), endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs), mercury and heavy metal compounds, pesticides, pharmaceuticals, oil, plastic wastes and their related chemicals (e.g., BPA, phthalates), personal care products and other industrial and agricultural emissions. We are only just becoming aware of the identity, volume and scope of many ocean pollutants. Their hazards and complex ecological interactions are still unknown.Many ocean pollutants do not have human health data or environmental fate information, and our understanding of the long-term impacts of endocrine disrupting chemic...
Environmental Health, 2004
One way to protect communities better from hazardous chemicals is to support their involvement in... more One way to protect communities better from hazardous chemicals is to support their involvement in the decision making processes that affect them. However, there are many obstacles to effective participation by the community, including limited access to information and expertise. This paper introduces the work of the National Toxics Network and its role in community capacity building through the development of community based information systems to support informed environmental decision making in toxic disputes. It reviews some situations where communities have found themselves at the centre of toxic disputes. It examines capacity building initiatives that inform and empower in order to facilitate the effective participation of civil society in the chemical management decision processes that affect them, their families, and their immediate environment.
There has been considerable interest in the ‘Polluter Pays Principle’ as outlined in Principle 16... more There has been considerable interest in the ‘Polluter Pays Principle’ as outlined in Principle 16 of Agenda 21 of the (UNCED) Rio Declaration on Environment and Development. This paper looks at the relevance of this principle to chemical pollution in the Murray Darling Basin. The Polluter Pays Principle implies that those who cause environmental damage by polluting should bear the costs of avoiding it or compensating for it. In 1991, the joint government and industry report on the Impact of Pesticides on the Riverine Environment identified the high potential for pesticide pollution in the Murray Darling basin and noted consistent contamination of inland waterways by the pesticides used in the cotton growing industry. The report stressed that there was little knowledge of the eventual fate of many of the agricultural chemicals in use today. In 1995, the NSW Department of Land and Water Conservation identified atrazine as the most commonly detected pesticide in the valleys of the cent...
In order to understand the role of community involvement in the disposal of the persistent organi... more In order to understand the role of community involvement in the disposal of the persistent organic pollutant (POPs) stockpile of HCB's stored in a Sydney suburb, it is necessary to understand the wider context of right to know and community consultation in chemical management in Australia. This case study concerns the involvement of the community in the destruction of HCB's at the Orica industrial site in Botany, Sydney. The case study research was to facilitate the environmentally sound destruction of what is thought to be the world's largest stockpile of hexachlorobenzene (HCB) while supporting environmental justice for local residents. The case study illustrates that unless stakeholders to the dispute have both a process for dialogue and the capacity (financial, geographical and technical) to participate, then the issues of right to know, evaluation of risk and incorporation of expert advice have no possibility of being addressed.
A Global Management Perspective, 2011
In order to understand the role of community involvement in the disposal of the persistent organi... more In order to understand the role of community involvement in the disposal of the persistent organic pollutant (POPs) stockpile of HCB's stored in a Sydney suburb, it is necessary to understand the wider context of right to know and community consultation in chemical management in Australia. This case study concerns the involvement of the community in the destruction of HCB's at the Orica industrial site in Botany, Sydney. The case study research was to facilitate the environmentally sound destruction of what is thought to be the world's largest stockpile of hexachlorobenzene (HCB) while supporting environmental justice for local residents. The case study illustrates that unless stakeholders to the dispute have both a process for dialogue and the capacity (financial, geographical and technical) to participate, then the issues of right to know, evaluation of risk and incorporation of expert advice have no possibility of being addressed.
Government and regulatory agency decisions made with the involvement of civil society are much mo... more Government and regulatory agency decisions made with the involvement of civil society are much more likely to be put into practice successfully.i Experience shows that it is very difficult to manage or mitigate the impacts of chemicals and hazardous waste without the ability to communicate effectively and equitably involve all those concerned with the issue. Public interest, public health and
In the context of 'toxic disputes' over chemicals and hazardous waste, it has been argued... more In the context of 'toxic disputes' over chemicals and hazardous waste, it has been argued that greater 'visibility' of chemical contamination issues would facilitate better public recognition of the conflict and thereby bring speedier remedial action by social and political institutions. However, greater awareness of chemical hazards is dependent on the public's access to information and in many chemical conflicts
International journal of occupational and environmental health
The paper examines the rise of environmental justice issues in Australia, evident in two toxic di... more The paper examines the rise of environmental justice issues in Australia, evident in two toxic disputes; the first, in a Perth outer suburb in Western Australia where residents faced both a hazardous waste dump and the nation's biggest chemical fire; and the second, in the Sydney suburb of Botany where residents were confronted with the destruction of what is thought to be, the world's largest stockpile of hazardous hexachlorobenzene (HCB) waste. The paper reviews the range of factors that impacted the local communities' fight for environmental justice. It explores the limitations of risk assessment and risk-based policies, as well as the problematic role of the expert and the communication of risk. The informational inequity and resource disparities so evident in toxic disputes are highlighted. The case studies confirmed the inequitable distribution of chemical risk as a failure to secure environmental justice for all Australians.
Journal of Environmental Management, 2009
In the environmental conflict that surrounds the sighting of hazardous waste facilities there is ... more In the environmental conflict that surrounds the sighting of hazardous waste facilities there is usually a volatile mix of disparities in power, expertise and information access as well as differing views on risk, which are all played out amidst commercial arrangements and environmental justice concerns. In recent times, the volatility of this mix has been further compounded by the growing climate of public concern and distrust surrounding scientific developments and technology. While there is no 'quick fix' to the complex conflict that this entails, community information systems (CISs) based on participatory models can help address the outstanding issues of capacity, information access, power inequities and environmental justice. CISs are an effective response to the five crucial elements of a toxic dispute, that is, the dialogue, capacity building, information access, evaluation of hazards and risk, and expertise. This paper will review the role of community accessible information systems in the dispute in Botany over the management and destruction of Orica Australia's stockpile of the persistent organic pollutant, hexachlorobenzene (HCB). It will focus on the role of CIS in responding to the challenges for expert information delivery, and in addressing the disparity of informational power within the toxic dispute.
Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 2008
Background, aim and scope Once they have been generated, polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs... more Background, aim and scope Once they have been generated, polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs) and dibenzofurans (PCDFs) and other persistent organic pollutants (POPs) can persist in soils and sediments and in waste repositories for periods extending from decades to centuries. In 1994, the US EPA concluded that contaminated sites and other reservoirs are likely to become the major source of contemporary pollution problems with these substances. With this in mind, this article is the first in a new series in ESPR under the title 'Case Studies on Dioxin and POP Contaminated Sites-Contemporary and Future Relevance and Challenges', which will address this important issue. The series will document various experi- Environ Sci Pollut Res (2008) 15:363-393
Since World War II, approximately 80,000 new commercial synthetic chemicals have been released in... more Since World War II, approximately 80,000 new commercial synthetic chemicals have been released into the environment, with approximately 1500 new chemicals released annually. Most of these have not been adequately tested for their impacts on human health or their particular impacts on children and the developing fetus. Yet, children are exposed to hazardous chemicals through residues in their food, indoor and outdoor air pollution, and through household products and contaminated house dust. Many of these synthetic chemicals are persistent and bio-accumulative, remaining in the human body long after exposure. Developing fetuses acquire toxic chemicals that have bio-accumulated in the mother's body and readily cross the placental barrier. Babies are now born with many man-made chemicals in their small bodies. Newborns take in more through breast milk or formula. There are no tests to assess the combined impacts of the " chemical soup " to which children are exposed. WHO, UNICEF, and UNEP have reported a growing number of children's health impacts caused by exposure to hazardous chemicals, including asthma, birth defects, hypospadias, behavioral disorders, learning disabilities, autism, cancer, dysfunctional immune systems, neurological impairments, and reproductive disorders. WHO states that approximately 3 million children under the age of five die every year due to environmental hazards, and this is not limited to developing countries. All children, both in the developing and developed world are affected by exposure to hazardous chemicals. In 2004, the European Union's Ministerial Conference on Children's Environmental Health identified air pollution, unsafe water conditions, and lead exposure as the main culprits in the death and disabling of children in Europe. The conference found that by reducing exposure to hazardous chemicals, the lives of many children could be saved. The key issues in children's environmental health and potential policy and management remedies are examined from both national (Australian) and international perspectives.
Marine pollutants are impacting the health of our oceans, their inhabitants and those dependent o... more Marine pollutants are impacting the health of our oceans, their inhabitants and those dependent on oceans for food, culture and their very survival. Everyday an ever-increasing cocktail of intentional and unintentional chemical releases, as well as an unrelenting tidal wave of wastes, particularly plastic waste, enters our waterways and the marine environment.Ocean pollutants include persistent organic pollutants (POPs), endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs), mercury and heavy metal compounds, pesticides, pharmaceuticals, oil, plastic wastes and their related chemicals (e.g., BPA, phthalates), personal care products and other industrial and agricultural emissions. We are only just becoming aware of the identity, volume and scope of many ocean pollutants. Their hazards and complex ecological interactions are still unknown.Many ocean pollutants do not have human health data or environmental fate information, and our understanding of the long-term impacts of endocrine disrupting chemic...
Environmental Health, 2004
One way to protect communities better from hazardous chemicals is to support their involvement in... more One way to protect communities better from hazardous chemicals is to support their involvement in the decision making processes that affect them. However, there are many obstacles to effective participation by the community, including limited access to information and expertise. This paper introduces the work of the National Toxics Network and its role in community capacity building through the development of community based information systems to support informed environmental decision making in toxic disputes. It reviews some situations where communities have found themselves at the centre of toxic disputes. It examines capacity building initiatives that inform and empower in order to facilitate the effective participation of civil society in the chemical management decision processes that affect them, their families, and their immediate environment.
There has been considerable interest in the ‘Polluter Pays Principle’ as outlined in Principle 16... more There has been considerable interest in the ‘Polluter Pays Principle’ as outlined in Principle 16 of Agenda 21 of the (UNCED) Rio Declaration on Environment and Development. This paper looks at the relevance of this principle to chemical pollution in the Murray Darling Basin. The Polluter Pays Principle implies that those who cause environmental damage by polluting should bear the costs of avoiding it or compensating for it. In 1991, the joint government and industry report on the Impact of Pesticides on the Riverine Environment identified the high potential for pesticide pollution in the Murray Darling basin and noted consistent contamination of inland waterways by the pesticides used in the cotton growing industry. The report stressed that there was little knowledge of the eventual fate of many of the agricultural chemicals in use today. In 1995, the NSW Department of Land and Water Conservation identified atrazine as the most commonly detected pesticide in the valleys of the cent...
In order to understand the role of community involvement in the disposal of the persistent organi... more In order to understand the role of community involvement in the disposal of the persistent organic pollutant (POPs) stockpile of HCB's stored in a Sydney suburb, it is necessary to understand the wider context of right to know and community consultation in chemical management in Australia. This case study concerns the involvement of the community in the destruction of HCB's at the Orica industrial site in Botany, Sydney. The case study research was to facilitate the environmentally sound destruction of what is thought to be the world's largest stockpile of hexachlorobenzene (HCB) while supporting environmental justice for local residents. The case study illustrates that unless stakeholders to the dispute have both a process for dialogue and the capacity (financial, geographical and technical) to participate, then the issues of right to know, evaluation of risk and incorporation of expert advice have no possibility of being addressed.
A Global Management Perspective, 2011
In order to understand the role of community involvement in the disposal of the persistent organi... more In order to understand the role of community involvement in the disposal of the persistent organic pollutant (POPs) stockpile of HCB's stored in a Sydney suburb, it is necessary to understand the wider context of right to know and community consultation in chemical management in Australia. This case study concerns the involvement of the community in the destruction of HCB's at the Orica industrial site in Botany, Sydney. The case study research was to facilitate the environmentally sound destruction of what is thought to be the world's largest stockpile of hexachlorobenzene (HCB) while supporting environmental justice for local residents. The case study illustrates that unless stakeholders to the dispute have both a process for dialogue and the capacity (financial, geographical and technical) to participate, then the issues of right to know, evaluation of risk and incorporation of expert advice have no possibility of being addressed.
Government and regulatory agency decisions made with the involvement of civil society are much mo... more Government and regulatory agency decisions made with the involvement of civil society are much more likely to be put into practice successfully.i Experience shows that it is very difficult to manage or mitigate the impacts of chemicals and hazardous waste without the ability to communicate effectively and equitably involve all those concerned with the issue. Public interest, public health and
In the context of 'toxic disputes' over chemicals and hazardous waste, it has been argued... more In the context of 'toxic disputes' over chemicals and hazardous waste, it has been argued that greater 'visibility' of chemical contamination issues would facilitate better public recognition of the conflict and thereby bring speedier remedial action by social and political institutions. However, greater awareness of chemical hazards is dependent on the public's access to information and in many chemical conflicts
International journal of occupational and environmental health
The paper examines the rise of environmental justice issues in Australia, evident in two toxic di... more The paper examines the rise of environmental justice issues in Australia, evident in two toxic disputes; the first, in a Perth outer suburb in Western Australia where residents faced both a hazardous waste dump and the nation's biggest chemical fire; and the second, in the Sydney suburb of Botany where residents were confronted with the destruction of what is thought to be, the world's largest stockpile of hazardous hexachlorobenzene (HCB) waste. The paper reviews the range of factors that impacted the local communities' fight for environmental justice. It explores the limitations of risk assessment and risk-based policies, as well as the problematic role of the expert and the communication of risk. The informational inequity and resource disparities so evident in toxic disputes are highlighted. The case studies confirmed the inequitable distribution of chemical risk as a failure to secure environmental justice for all Australians.
Journal of Environmental Management, 2009
In the environmental conflict that surrounds the sighting of hazardous waste facilities there is ... more In the environmental conflict that surrounds the sighting of hazardous waste facilities there is usually a volatile mix of disparities in power, expertise and information access as well as differing views on risk, which are all played out amidst commercial arrangements and environmental justice concerns. In recent times, the volatility of this mix has been further compounded by the growing climate of public concern and distrust surrounding scientific developments and technology. While there is no 'quick fix' to the complex conflict that this entails, community information systems (CISs) based on participatory models can help address the outstanding issues of capacity, information access, power inequities and environmental justice. CISs are an effective response to the five crucial elements of a toxic dispute, that is, the dialogue, capacity building, information access, evaluation of hazards and risk, and expertise. This paper will review the role of community accessible information systems in the dispute in Botany over the management and destruction of Orica Australia's stockpile of the persistent organic pollutant, hexachlorobenzene (HCB). It will focus on the role of CIS in responding to the challenges for expert information delivery, and in addressing the disparity of informational power within the toxic dispute.
Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 2008
Background, aim and scope Once they have been generated, polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs... more Background, aim and scope Once they have been generated, polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs) and dibenzofurans (PCDFs) and other persistent organic pollutants (POPs) can persist in soils and sediments and in waste repositories for periods extending from decades to centuries. In 1994, the US EPA concluded that contaminated sites and other reservoirs are likely to become the major source of contemporary pollution problems with these substances. With this in mind, this article is the first in a new series in ESPR under the title 'Case Studies on Dioxin and POP Contaminated Sites-Contemporary and Future Relevance and Challenges', which will address this important issue. The series will document various experi- Environ Sci Pollut Res (2008) 15:363-393
Since World War II, approximately 80,000 new commercial synthetic chemicals have been released in... more Since World War II, approximately 80,000 new commercial synthetic chemicals have been released into the environment, with approximately 1500 new chemicals released annually. Most of these have not been adequately tested for their impacts on human health or their particular impacts on children and the developing fetus. Yet, children are exposed to hazardous chemicals through residues in their food, indoor and outdoor air pollution, and through household products and contaminated house dust. Many of these synthetic chemicals are persistent and bio-accumulative, remaining in the human body long after exposure. Developing fetuses acquire toxic chemicals that have bio-accumulated in the mother's body and readily cross the placental barrier. Babies are now born with many man-made chemicals in their small bodies. Newborns take in more through breast milk or formula. There are no tests to assess the combined impacts of the " chemical soup " to which children are exposed. WHO, UNICEF, and UNEP have reported a growing number of children's health impacts caused by exposure to hazardous chemicals, including asthma, birth defects, hypospadias, behavioral disorders, learning disabilities, autism, cancer, dysfunctional immune systems, neurological impairments, and reproductive disorders. WHO states that approximately 3 million children under the age of five die every year due to environmental hazards, and this is not limited to developing countries. All children, both in the developing and developed world are affected by exposure to hazardous chemicals. In 2004, the European Union's Ministerial Conference on Children's Environmental Health identified air pollution, unsafe water conditions, and lead exposure as the main culprits in the death and disabling of children in Europe. The conference found that by reducing exposure to hazardous chemicals, the lives of many children could be saved. The key issues in children's environmental health and potential policy and management remedies are examined from both national (Australian) and international perspectives.