Wambo Coal AEMR 2011-2012 - Peabody Energy

2011-2012 AEMR
3.4 Surface Water
3.4.1 Environmental Management
Surface water monitoring is undertaken in
accordance with WCPL’s Surface Water Monitoring
Program (SWMP), a requirement of Consent
Condition 33, Schedule 4 of DA305/7/2003. The
SWMP is a component of WCPL’s Site Water
Management Plan as required under Condition 30,
Schedule 4 of DA305-7-2003. In addition, the
SWMP has also been prepared to fulfil WCPL’s EPL
529 license conditions.
The SWMP has previously been prepared to the
satisfaction of DP&I and SSC and in consultation
with DTIRIS and NOW. The SWMP was approved
by the DP&I in October 2005. WCPL revised the
SWMP in October 2008 and November 2009 and
re-submitted the surface water monitoring program
to the relevant government departments to
accommodate operational changes and
development consent modification requirements.
WCPL received official notification from the DTIRIS
during April 2010 accepting the changes to the
SWMP.
At the time of writing the 2011-2012 AEMR, WCPL
were finalising another revision of the SWMP for
submitting to the DP&I and NOW. The revision of
the SWMP was in response to an action item in the
2011 Environmental Independent Audit.
The results in Section 3.4.2 of the 2011-2012
AEMR for surface water are for those surface water
monitoring sites required for monitoring in
accordance with approved in the 2005 SWMP.
In accordance with SWMP, WCPL maintained
surface water monitoring sites, located within:
Local waterways including Wollombi Brook,
Doctors Creek, Longford Creek, North Wambo
Creek, South Wambo Creek and Stony Creek;
and
Mine water storage dams including Eagles Nest
Dam, Chitter Dam and South Dam.
WCPL participates in the HRSTS which allows
water to be discharged into the Wollombi Brook
from the licensed discharge point SW15 (Eagles
Nest Dam) as listed in EPL 529. For further details
of water discharges refer to Section 2.8.3.
3.4.2 Environmental Performance
3.4.2.1 Water Quality
Surface water quality criteria for pH, Electrical
Conductivity (EC) and Total Suspended Solids
(TSS) for the monitoring locations at WCPL are
provided in Table 3.1. The surface water quality
criteria for pH and TSS were adopted from the
discharge criteria (i.e. Schedule 4, Consent
Condition 24 of DA 305-7-2003, and Condition L3.3
of EPL 529) and the HRSTS.
Table 3.1 – Surface Water Quality Criteria
Stream System
pH Criteria
EC Criteria
(µS/cm)
TSS Criteria
(mg/L)
WCPL Mine Site
Wollombi Brook 6.5 - 9.0 3,106 120
North Wambo Creek 6.5 - 9.0 2,093 120
Eagles Nest Dam 6.5 - 9.5 N/A * 120
South Wambo Creek 6.5 - 9.0 492 120
Stony Creek 6.5 - 9.0 492 120
Wambo Rail Development
Wollombi Brook
Longford Creek
Doctors Creek
Less than 20% more
than upstream
concentration
Less than 20% more
than upstream
concentration
Less than 20% more
than upstream
concentration
Note: * Under Schedule 4, Condition 24 of DA 305-7-2003 and condition L3.3 of EPL 529 the
Eagles Nest Dam discharge point is not required to be monitored for EC.
^ ANZECC Guidelines for Fresh and Marine Water Quality (2000)
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