DUST, DRAMA AND

DECISION MAKING IN

THE HUNTER REGION,

NSW

Conjoint A/Prof Howard BridgmanClean Air Society and Australia

and New ZealandUniversity of Newcastle

INTRODUCTION

Purpose is to describe recent activities and events concerning air pollution which are relevant to Newcastle, and the Hunter Region, NSW

Focus is on particle matter (PM) current major concern (coal & dust)

– PM10: PM less than 10 μg/m3 diameter

– PM2.5: PM less than 2.5 μg/m3 diameter (fine) –burning and chemistry processes

– PM10-PM2.5: coarse fraction - mechanical processes

PORT OF NEWCASTLE

STAKEHOLDERSMining Companies & Industry

NSW Minerals Council

Newcastle Ports Corporation (storage & loading of coal for export)

NSW Government (Ministers for Planning & Environment)

Local Government

Residents Groups

NSW OEH & EPA

“Coal Chain” providers (trains)

RESIDENTS GROUPS

Newcastle Community Consultation Committee for the Environment (NCCCE)

Coal Terminal Action Group (CTAG)

Mayfield Residents Group

Stockton Residents Group

Minewatch (Upper Hunter)

Singleton Healthy Environment

RESIDENTS GROUPS

CONCERNS

Loss of agricultural way of life

Uncontrolled dust from mining

Health impacts and excess PM

Coal dust along rail lines

Coal dust from port stockpiles

Greenhouse warming

Considerable knowledge & research skills

MINING & INDUSTRY

STAKEHOLDER CONCERNS

Loss of income

Loss of jobs

Lack of community support

Too much red tape (regulation)

Too much “green” tape (environment)

NSW Land & Environment Court delays

CAUGHT IN THE MIDDLE?

NSW EPA/OEH

Local Government

Public majority (do not know what to believe)

AUSTRALIAN PM NEPM

NEPM – National Environmental Pollution Measure

Relevant to areas away from specific sources

NEPM national standards for PM10

–50 μg/m3 24-hour average (not to be exceeded more than 5 times per year)

NEPM national guidelines for PM2.5

–8 μg/m3 annual average

–25 μg/m3 24-hour average

PM10 NPI NEWCASTLE (2011)

TOTAL: 880,000 kg/y

Solid Fuel Burning Domestic: 220,000

Water Transport Support Services: 220,000

Fertilizer and Pesticide: 120,000

Motor Vehicles: 93,000

Ferrous Metals: 56,000

www.npi.gov.au

PM2.5 NPI FOR NEWCASTLE

TOTAL: 72,000 kg (About 8% of PM10) – 15 Facilities

Ferrous Metals: 42,000

Meat and Meat Products: 15,000

Fertilizer and Pesticide: 5,600

Structural Metal Products: 3,100

Electricity Generation: 2,000

Solid Fuel Burning Domestic: ????

NSW EPA GREATER METROPOLITAN REGION

INVENTORY - 2008

http://www.epa.nsw.gov.au/air/

airinventory.htm NSW EPA equivalent of NPI

Latest version is for 2008

Lots of facts and information about air quality

850 air pollutants, both natural and anthropogenic

Based on sources and emissions

Details of calculation methodology

Series of Technical Reports

PM mainly under Industry

AIR POLLUTION AND HEALTH FORUM, NEWCASTLE , 23-24 Sept 2013

NSW EPA INVENTORY FOR PM

PM10 (tonnes/yr)

–GMR: 89,823

–Newcastle: 4,838

–Non-Urban: 65,726 (69.9% Human)

PM2.5

–GMR: 31,744

–Newcastle: 2,023

–Non-Urban: 17,076 (73.4% Human)

NSW EPA INVENTORY FOR PM

PM10: 61,155 total non-urban is Industrial (83.5% of total) – 93% of human sources

PM2.5: 13,273 total non-urban is Industrial (75% of total) – 77.7% of human sources

NSW EPA INVENTORY FOR PM

PM10 industrial non-urban sources:

– Mining for coal – 76.4%

– Electric power generation from coal – 9.9%

– Other land-based extractive – 3.5%

PM2.5 industrial non-urban sources:

– Mining for coal – 49.6%

– Electric power from coal – 19.5%

– Industrial vehicles & equipment – 10.3%

THE UPPER HUNTER NETWORK

http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/AQMS/hourlydata.htm

13 monitoring stations measuring hourly PM10

3 monitoring stations measuring hourly PM2.5 (Muswellbrook, Camberwell, Singleton)

AIR POLLUTION AND HEALTH FORUM, NEWCASTLE , 23-24 Sept 2013

THE UPPER HUNTER NETWORK

THE UPPER HUNTER NETWORKSept 13 2013 Hourly Coarse and Fine PM

0

5

10

15

20

25

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24

Time (hr)

PM

(u

g/m

3)

Time (hour)

Coarse

Fine

Coarse = Fine

Coarse < fine

BUILDING A LOWER HUNTER

NETWORK Currently three NSW EPA monitors, with long-

term records (since 1996): Beresfield, Wallsend, Newcastle.

http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/AQMS/hourlydata.htm Current PM data from these is on-line but does

not include the wind data One station, at Stockton, is operated through

Orica Plans to add this to the EPA network, and

establish new stations at Mayfield (Coal River), Carrington, and Rutherford (Telarah).

Other sources of information include a number of industrial dust deposition and high volume air sampler sites

AIR POLLUTION AND HEALTH FORUM, NEWCASTLE , 23-24 Sept 2013

MONTHLY LOWER HUNTER AQ

REPORTS

LOWER HUNTER AIR QUALITY REVIEW OF AMBIENT AIR QUALITY DATA

http://www.epa.nsw.gov.au/resources/NCCCE/LHAQRptApril13.pdf (note: each report listed by month of analysis)

MARCH 2013 to present

NSW Environment Protection Authority

Prepared by Todoroski Air Sciences

MONTHLY LOWER HUNTER AQ

REPORTS

Includes information about:

– sites

– air quality criteria

– particles

– monitoring data results

– analysis of elevated pollution levels

– meteorology

–Very useful summary

THE STOCKTON DATA SET

www.stocktonairqualitymonitoring.com

Includes daily and hourly current information plus weekly and monthly graphs

Measures both PM10 and PM2.5, wind speed and direction

Historical data available

Can download in tables or save graphs

AIR POLLUTION AND HEALTH FORUM, NEWCASTLE , 23-24 Sept 2013

THE STOCKTON DATA SET

RECENT LOCAL RESEARCH

CTAG – Coal Terminal Action Group

http://www.hcec.org.au/sites/default/files/CoalTrainSignatureReportAug2013.pdf

Concerned about PM emissions from coal trains

Two pilot studies, the second one more detailed

New dimension in environmental concern and action

Results add another aspect to the research and monitoring data for the Hunter

AIR POLLUTION AND HEALTH FORUM, NEWCASTLE , 23-24 Sept 2013

CTAG TRAIN EMISSIONS STUDY

ENGINE

WAGONS

UNLOADED COAL TRAIN

Unloaded Coal Train, Beresfield, 15 July 2013

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120

2:42

:17 P

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2:42

:29 P

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2:42

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2:42

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2:43

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:17 P

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:29 P

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2:43

:53 P

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:29 P

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2:45

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Time

PM

(u

g/m

3)

PM10

Fine

Coarse

CTAG TRAIN EMISSIONS STUDY

LOADED COAL TRAIN

July 15, 2013, Beresfield Station

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

12:36:1

7 PM

12:36:2

9 PM

12:36:4

1 PM

12:36:5

3 PM

12:37:0

5 PM

12:37:1

7 PM

12:37:2

9 PM

12:37:4

1 PM

12:37:5

3 PM

12:38:0

5 PM

12:38:1

7 PM

12:38:2

9 PM

12:38:4

1 PM

12:38:5

3 PM

12:39:0

5 PM

Time

PM

(u

g/m

3)

PM10

Fine

coarse

ENGINE

WAGONS

UPPER HUNTER PARTICLE

CHARACTERISATION STUDY

CSIRO study (Mark Hibberd) - 2013

Assess the concentrations of PM2.5 and relative source importance in Muswellbrook & Singleton

Focus on PM2.5

Source evaluation through sample chemistry and statistics

UHPS RESULTS

COMMUNICATION

PROBLEMS

Lack of scientific understanding

Lack of consideration of opposing arguments

Lack of respect & trust

“Communication by media”

–Surveys

–Focus on extremes

Bombast statements

WHAT HAPPENS 2014-15? Particle Characterisation Study in LH (both

PM10 and PM2.5)

Dust Fallout Community Research Study in LH

Coal wagons emissions study using wind tunnel analysis

Monthly summary reports for the UH

EPA “Dust Stop” program for mines

–Focus on wheel dust from large vehicles

Continuing public argument

WHAT ELSE IS NEEDED?

Better communication & understanding between stakeholders

More research on available data sets

Mine dust reduction measures beyond regulations

Fairer finance for the local council areas

Acceptance that coal mining is still critical to the Australian economy

AND

Air Pollution “life” in the Hunter Region is very exciting at present

CASANZ has and can help the communication and understanding process

Problems affect all local governments – work together toward resolution

QUESTIONS??