Wambo Coal AEMR 2011-2012 - Peabody Energy

2011-2012 AEMR
3.2 Air Quality
Fitting dust suppression systems at transfer
points where necessary.
3.2.1 Environmental Management
Dust generation is primarily managed by road
maintenance and consolidation, and utilising water
carts to apply recycled mine water onto internal
roads and other disturbed areas. Other dust control
measures during the reporting period included:
Induction training to all employees highlighting
their responsibility to limit the level of dust
produced;
Rehabilitation of disturbed land on a
progressive basis to reduce total disturbed
area;
Keeping disturbance areas to a minimum by
minimising the disturbance in advance of
mining operations until mining is due to
commence in the area and clearly defining
roads;
Modifying mining operations during
unfavourable weather conditions to reduce dust
generation;
Dust suppression equipment is fitted and
operated on drills;
Regular servicing of water carts for effective
road watering and continual operation;
Revegetating topsoil stockpiles which are not
planned to be used for over three months;
Designing blast holes with stemming to provide
optimum confinement of the blast charge;
Constraints on blasting operations to reduce
impact of immediate neighbours (e.g. rescheduling
blasts when wind blowing towards
immediate neighbours);
Use of additional contractor water trucks to
water frequently used roads around the CHPP
as required;
Operation of two water truck fill points during
the reporting period to reduce the time between
road watering;
Operation of water sprays during raw coal
unloading at the ROM dump hopper;
Regular use of a road sweeper on the main
access road into WCPL;
Implementing speed limits on roadways;
Cleaning up coal spillage around the CHPP to
prevent dust; and
WCPL operate under an approved Air Quality
Monitoring Program (AQMP), a requirement of
Consent Condition 5, Schedule 4 of DA305-7-2003.
The AQMP was revised to address operational
changes and re-submitted to the DP&I in June
2008.
In accordance with Consent Condition 4, Schedule
4, DA305-7-2003 and the AQMP, WCPL maintained
four air quality monitoring stations AQ01, AQ02,
AQ03 and AQ04 (see Figure 3.1). Each air quality
monitoring station consists of a Tapered Element
Oscillating Microbalance (TEOM) unit monitoring
PM 10, a High Volume Air Sampler (HVAS) unit
monitoring Total Suspended Particulates (TSP) and
a dust depositional gauge.
In accordance with the AQMP, WCPL has
maintained and operated the following air quality
monitoring equipment, throughout the reporting
period:
Four HVAS units measuring TSP;
Four real time TEOM units measuring
particulate matter of 10 microns in diameter
(PM 10) on a continuous basis; and
Sixteen depositional dust gauges.
3.2.1.1 Site Specific Particulate Matter
Control: Best Practice Assessment
In 2011, the NSW Environmental Protection
Authority (EPA) required, through a Pollution
Reduction Program, that WCPL provide a report
which examines in detail the potential measures
which could be employed to further reduce
particulate emissions from the mine. This is part of
a larger program which aims to reduce particulate
emissions from the coal mining industry as a whole
in NSW.
SLR Consulting Australia Pty Ltd (SLR Consulting)
was commissioned by WCPL, to perform this
assessment, which has included a site inspection,
emissions estimation and the identification,
quantification and justification of existing and
proposed control measures for the site. The study
was performed in accordance with the Coal Mine
Particulate Matter Control – Best Practice: Site
Specific Determination Guideline issued by the New
South Wales (NSW) Environmental Protection
Authority (EPA) in November 2011.
The findings of this assessment will be summarised
in the next AEMR as the report was no yet finalised
at the end of the 2011-2012 reporting period.
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