Dust levels trigger probe
Study hunts for source – coal loading or rural activities?
stuart.cumming@thechronicle.com.au AN INVESTIGATION is under way into the cause of elevated dust levels recorded less than a kilometre from New Hope Group’s Jondaryan coal loading facility.
A spokeswoman from the Department of Environment and Heritage Protection said levels of total suspended particulates as well as particles less than 10 micrometres in diameter, or PM10, went above recommended levels earlier this month.
She said elevated total suspended particulate levels started about 6am on May 20 and continued until about 7am on May 22.
Meanwhile, elevated PM10 levels started about 7am on May 20 and continued until about 5am the next day.
PM10 particles are considered dangerous as they can enter the human respiratory system and penetrate deeply into the lungs, causing adverse health effects.
Government monitoring has been conducted at the site since March, when the program was installed in response to community concerns about the impacts of dust emissions. . The spokeswoman said dust collected would be analysed to help determine if the source was the coal loading facility or rural activities.
“Environment and Heritage Protection has also requested further information and data from New Hope Group’s monitoring equipment for the same period,” she said.
A New Hope Group spokesman said the company did not believe it had exceeded limits for air quality associated with its rail loading facility near Jondaryan.
He said the rail loading facility had operated as normal on the days in question.
“New Hope’s dust monitoring equipment, also located at Jondaryan, has not recorded elevated results during May, nor have we received any indication of elevated levels,” the spokesman said.
He said the government results, published online, did not analyse the potential sources of the dust in the air.
“Therefore, these results will capture spikes from any nearby activity such as cars and trucks using bitumen and dirt roads, farming activity such as harvesting and ploughing and dust coming from the Jondaryan waste refuse facility.”
Oakey Coal Action Alliance president John Cook said the readings vindicated opposition to the New Hope Group’s coal mining and transportation activities.
“This company should be investigated properly, by an independent body not receiving donations from New Hope or their affiliates,” Mr Cook said.
The State Government’s air monitoring results are available at www.qld.gov.au/environment /pollution/monitoring/airmonitoring. New Hope Group’s air monitoring results are available at www.aclandproject. com.au/content/sustainability.