Japanese owned silicon manufacturer Simcoa, have always emphatically denied that they do not source whole jarrah logs that are specifically logged from state forest to burn to produce activated charcoal.

Yet, a logging truck carrying up to 60-tonne of ancient jarrah trees taken from a high conservation value forest near Boyup Brook, was recently photographed going into Simcoa’s silicon smelter at Kemerton near Bunbury (see photos/date).

“Simcoa, just like their Japanese whaling counterparts; continue to lie to the Australian public that they only kill whales for scientific purposes, also lie that they do not use whole trees cut down in the last of our remaining jarrah forest. These trees which have taken hundreds of years to grow - were once home to several endangered fauna species now facing extinction.” Peter Murphy from the Preston Environment Group said.

Conservationists have always claimed that Simcoa have a responsibility to help stop the rapid decline of forest dependent fauna species by sourcing all their timber needs from plantations.

Simcoa have incinerated over 3-million tonnes of jarrah since the smelter first opened in 1987 and their demand for jarrah is expected to increase dramatically with the expansion of a third smelting furnace expected to come on stream in 2012.

Earlier this year, PEG wrote to Simcoa’s parent company, chemical giant Shin-Estu Corporation President, Shunzo Mori - requesting that he stop using native timber, and for Simoca to source all their timber requirements from plantation timber only. Mr Mori has yet to respond to PEG’s letter.

“Essentially, Simcoa are ‘Carbon Criminals’, as they are robbing future generations of carbon credits; not only from the logging of our natural carbon sinks (trees), but also by burning them in a smelter which requires enormous amounts of electricity generated by the burning of coal.” Mr Murphy said.   

In 2010, Simcoa received an Environmental Gong Award for their complicity in the destruction of the jarrah forest.

For more information contact PEG on 97 321 270 or 043 997 6507 or go to www.quokkarescue.org