ALREADY tarnished by allegations of bribery, the Olympic Games have been
dealt another blow. Plans to promote the Sydney Olympics in 2000 as the 鈥済reen
games鈥� are in danger of collapsing, following a dispute between Greenpeace and
the Olympic Coordination Authority (OCA), the group set up by the New South
Wales government to stage the event.
Greenpeace was a partner in drawing up guidelines for the first
environmentally friendly Olympics. But now the environmental group says the OCA
should step in to stop ozone-depleting chemicals being used in the cooling
system for the 15 000-seat Super Dome being built for basketball and other
indoor events, and is seeking an injunction in the Federal Court of Australia
stopping the OCA promoting the Sydney Olympics as the green games. The case is
likely to be heard in February.
The environmental guidelines were submitted in 1992 as part of the successful
bid to stage the games. They state that 鈥渘o ozone-depleting chemicals (CFCs,
HCFCs, methyl chloroform and halons) will be used鈥�. But Greenpeace says that
HCFC 123, a refrigerant being phased out under the Montreal Protocol, is to be
used in the Super Dome鈥檚 air-conditioning system.
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鈥淚t鈥檚 preposterous,鈥� says Michael Bland, from Greenpeace in Sydney. 鈥淵ou
can鈥檛 promote these as the green games on the world stage while at the same time
allowing the use of HCFCs in the cooling system of one of the main venues,
especially when there are alternatives such as ammonia. It鈥檚 just not on.鈥�
Millennium, the consortium building the stadium, disputes the Greenpeace
claims. 鈥淭he ozone depletion potential from the emissions per year will be
significantly less than the equivalent of about one asthma puffer,鈥� its
statement says. The issue could soon come to a head, as Greenpeace plans to
blockade the installation of a machine to compress the gas.