The Border Watch: March 26, 2009

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Smoke monitor BY ANELIA BLACKIE

Email: [email protected]

THE Big Brother of air pollution will soon be monitoring Mount Gambier skies to gather information on pollutants released from wood smoke in the area. The Environment Protection Authority (EPA) has announced an air quality monitoring station will be located in Mount Gambier shortly before winter when chimneys start to push huge clouds of wood smoke into the air - and stay here on a permanent basis. EPA principal scientific officer Chris Powell said the station, with scales so sensitive it can weigh air particles as small as one ten millionth of a gram, will filter air, count and size particles to give a reading of the air quality in the city. “It is important to determine the levels of air pollution, when it occurs and what it consists of and to measure the way pollution moves around in the air and its affect on the environment,” Mr Powell said. “With this information we can look at ways we can manage the sources of air pollution, inform the community about air quality in Mount Gambier and develop strategies to improve or maintain good air quality.” The air quality monitoring station,

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which Mr Powell jokingly called a mobile “dog wash” because of its similarity in appearance, is mounted on a trailer and will be based where there is good access to the sky. “We are currently looking at three potential locations where it will be based permanently,” he said. The monitoring station will take readings every 10 minutes and every hour transmit information to Adelaide, where it will be processed along with information gathered from stations in other South Australian locations, including Port Pirie, Whyalla and Adelaide. Mr Powell said air quality measured in Mount Gambier from 2001 to 2002 gave inconclusive results when older measuring equipment was used. The announcement of the monitoring station was made with the launch of SmokeWatch, a community education program to reduce wood smoke by encouraging householders to use their wood heaters more efficiently. EPA South East manager Naomi Grey said SmokeWatch was about efficient heating and not about whether it is better than other forms of heating. “When not used correctly, it can cause excessive smoke and I hope SmokeWatch will initiate community discussion on the issue,” she said. City Councillor Jim Maher, who officially launched SmokeWatch, described it as “local action on a global issue”.

pThe driver side of Mr Monger’s car was extensively damaged. Quick reflexes saved him from being badly injured.

Crash survival ‘pure fluke’ BY ELLIE TURNER

Email: [email protected]

A MOUNT Gambier man who narrowly survived Monday morning’s fatal accident on the Princes Highway has described his survival as a “pure fluke”. Frank Monger was heading west to take student photos at a school north of Warrnambool when he smashed into an unloaded trailer that had disconnected from a truck about 5km east of Mount Gambier. At 6.15am the sun had not risen and neither Mr Monger or the man who died could see the trailer, having their lights on low beam as they approached each other. Mr Monger said what looked like an iron bar loomed out of the darkness and he hit the brakes with less than two seconds warning. He ducked into the middle of the car just before the trailer smashed

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into the driver’s side windscreen and door, and continued several metres down the road. Another driver hit the trailer seconds later and was killed on impact. Mr Monger said he must have gone into shock “because I lost all concept of time”. “I remember a police officer asking if I was okay, but I couldn’t tell you what happened in the space between when the accident happened and when they got there,” he said. Mr Monger said the freak accident could have happened to anyone. He said he habitually scanned for kangaroos at that time of the morning, but not for big iron bars. He sustained soreness, bruising and several cuts to the shoulder. “I am counting my blessings, but my deepest sympathies are with the victim’s family,” Mr Monger said.

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pMount Gambier resident Frank Monger was lucky to survive a crash that took the life of another man on Monday morning. Picture: ELLIE TURNER.

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Thursday, March 26, 2009