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Eco-fears on cloud seeding plan
27 Aug 2003
Snowy Hydro Ltd claims that NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service is opposed to the cloud-seeding plan that would boost flows to the Murray River flows by up to 150 gigalitres a year. Snowy Hydro says NPWS is against the plan due to potential environmental disruption in the Snowy Mountains.
Terry Charlton, CEO of Snowy Hydro, is urging the NSW Government to fast-track the project, and says it has the potential to provide the drought-afflicted Murray system with significant additional fresh water. It could boost snowfall by 10 per cent, which would also increase electricity generation when melted.
Snowy Hydro is proposing a six-year, $5 million plan to seed clouds passing over the Snowy Mountains with silver iodide from ground-based generators.
A NPWS spokesman said the impact and legalities of the plan are being investigated. Snowy Hydro maintains the silver iodide would not get into waterways, but remain in the soil.
Weekly Times, 27/8/03, page 2.
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