Wambo Coal AEMR 2011-2012 - Peabody Energy

1 INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background
Global Acoustics was engaged by Wambo Coal Pty Ltd to provide a summary of the
quarterly environmental noise surveys conducted around Wambo Coal Mine (WCM), and the
Wambo Coal Rail Spur (WCRS) from 1 July 2011 to 30 June 2012.
Monitoring was delayed several times during Quarter 2, 2012 due to train scheduling and the
arrival of trains coinciding with acceptable meteorological conditions. As a result of trying to
find a suitable time to undertake WCRS monitoring, the Quarter 2 2012 survey was extended
into August 2012.
The rail spur and mine operate under separate development consents and have been
monitored separately. Reporting, however, has been combined in this document.
Wambo Coal operates both open cut and underground mining operations from their mine at
Warkworth, NSW. The open cut operations include use of heavy mobile equipment in open
cut pits, on haul roads and on waste rock emplacements. The underground operations have
surface facilities. Both operations utilise a coal handling and preparation plant (CHPP)
including conveyors, bins and other material-handling infrastructure.
The WCRS is located between Mt Thorley and Warkworth Village, New South Wales (as
shown in Figure 1) and includes the following components:
a product coal stockpile and reclaim area, product coal conveyer, train loadout bin, rail
loop and a rail spur from the Wambo Coal Mine to Mount Thorley; and
rail transport of product coal to the market, an intermittent activity that can take place at
anytime.
Attended environmental noise monitoring described in this report was undertaken on a
quarterly basis at five sites during Quarters 3 and 4 2011 and Quarters 1 and 2 2012 around
the mine. Figure 1 shows the monitoring locations.
Two of the five monitoring locations are within the Noise Affectation Zone, as identified in
EIS reports (Wambo Development Project EIS (Resource Strategies, 2003), and Jerrys Plains Coal
Terminal and Rail Line Environmental Impact Statement and Statement of Environmental Effects
(CMPS&F, 1997)); as such, noise criteria do not apply directly to these properties. For these
locations, measured noise levels from WCM and WCRS are compared against EIS modelled
noise results. Compliance with modelled noise levels at these nearest receptors indicates
compliance with development consent criteria at properties further away is likely.
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