“MTW Continuation Project PAC Dec...

Dr Neville Hodkinson PhD

Without Prejudice

R028/14 Mount Thorley Extension 2014

R027/14 Warkworth Continuation 2014

Kate Wedgwood

GPO Box 3415 Sydney NSW 2001

Email: [email protected] 10 Dec 2014

SSHEG Planning Assessment Commission Submission of Mining Continuance

2014 – 2035 for the Mt Thorley and Warkworth Mines Continuation Project

PART A Introduction This SSHEG PAC Submission has been concidered necessary to identify that the sum total

legacy of all documents that need to be weighed up in any affirmative decision by PAC, beginning

from the 2002 Mining approval Stage through to the current 2014 Continuation Proposal, including

Land and Environment and Supreme Court documents, submissions, rulings etc.; and the various

Governmental and Mining Company action and inaction related to mining consent conditions across

this MTW mining period 2002 to end 2014.

If the PAC is not aware of the ”Community Social Licence” granted to Warkworth Mining in

the 2002 Approvals(PAC members need to be) where the balance and agreement was established

between the various competing interests ; thus any PAC review that begs this question will be open

to further ongoing challenges, hence SSHEG expects these issues to be fully addressed in any PAC

determinations.

ingleton hire ealthy nvironment roup

“MTW Continuation Project PAC Dec 2014”

A community-based group looking to address Environmental issues

affecting Singleton Shire residents

Author: Dr Neville Hodkinson PhD

We seek identification as to what is making our Children and

Community Sick so they can be mitigated by OH&S Compliance Orders.

SSHEG Focus on Health

SSHEG is Not Anti Mining or Anti Power Stations

mailto:[email protected]


The Community response to Warkworth Mining walking away from and ignoring the

implementation of their 2002 Consent Conditions is at the heart of the credibility of all future Mining

Operating Compliance Conditions being adhere to.

By 2008, Singleton Doctors were increasingly concerned at the quickening pace of

Community Diseases from both Power Stations and Coal Mining Pollution resulting in SSHEG

submission to NSW Government and Chief Health Officer and Expert Advisory Panel began

investigating in 2010.

SSHEG concerns are detailed in the submissions to the 2010 MTW Proposal and also outlined

in 2011 PAC presentations by John Drinan, Carol Russell, Lyn McBain, Neville Hodkinson, as well

NSW Department of Health.(refer 2011 PAC Attachments)

By October 2013, SSHEG focus on PM2.5 significance regarding Respiratory and

Cardiovascular Diseases were recognised compared to the 2008 stance by Government and Medical

Authorities focusing on PM10.

The “Game Changer” occurred when WHO released in Oct 2013 that Epidemiological Cohort

Studies, Animal and Tissue studies over 30 years Medical Research had identified Air Pollution,

Particulate Matter, and earlier June 2012 Diesel Exhaust Emissions are all Group 1 Carcinogens;

same as Mustard Gas, Asbestosis, Radioactivity.

SSHEG submission to Warkworth and Mt Thorley Continuation 2014 with detailed

attachments outlines these issues and their now Internationally reported and Medically accepted

associations regarding Human Diseases and Mining Operations.

However the 2013 WHO paradine shift of Disease emphasis from Mining Operations

particularly on “Near Neighbours and Bulga – Broke Micro Valley in SSHEG 2014 submission is not

reflected in the MTW 2014 Continuation EIS Air Quality and Drifting Blast Plumes Modelling

investigations or the NSW Planning Dept approvals under consideration by this 2014 PAC.

More importantly, Real Time Monitoring of various Residences not identified by such “Hit

and Miss” Modelling, once identified during actual Operations will require specific Compliance

Orders and possibly Residences Mitigation measures or restricted Mining Operations as

Meteorological Conditions dictate.

Similarly, both MTW and Government Authorities are aware of the Health Impact of

Mining Noise on the Bulga – Broke and Long Point Communities, and the part played by the

socalled Saddlers Ridge removal. Up until now both the Mining and Government Authorities,

including the Industrial Noise Policy aspects have evaluated Noise as an “Annoyance to Humans “

, however recent Medical Research has now identified the direct connection between “Noise and

Human Disease” in Nov 2014. (attachment 1)

Just as the Air Pollution Drifting Patterns impact particularly on Rural Residents will

require to be reworked for North Easterly Meteorological Patterns, then a rethink is also required

to address the Noise Disease Impacts on these same Residents; suggesting Residents are being

exposed to an unacceptable double Disease Risk from Mining.


PART B Community Health Concerns Air Quality

SSHEG contend that the Environment in the Hunter Valley, especially the Air Quality

contains Gases, Particulates, Vapours, Fumes, Aerosols, Pollens, etc., requires better targeted

Short Term Monitoring of the Composition, Toxicity, Exposure and related Health effects (where

2014 sees the challenges of the new World Health Organisation “Stochastic” Air Pollution

Paradine, also recognised by the NSWEPA); and better Mitigation steps are need to reduce these

Health Risks for Residents.


But it is especially all children, Pre & Post Natal and Children under 8 years of age that are now

being confirmed as one Population Group vulnerable to Air Pollution; confirming the Singleton

Community Health Survey Reports . These SSHEG Health Surveys in 2008-9 and Community Reports by

2010 already identified that the Air Pollution of the Cluster of Mines in the Bulga-Broke Micro Valley

area were impacting the Health of all Resident groupings in this area, for both Long and Short Term

Exposures.

This Submission therefore calls for Mine related Gaseous and Particulate Matter (including

Pollens, Spores, Moulds) Monitoring and Analysis at Broke School in conjunction with the Dr Au

Asthma Study proposal to ascertain over a two year initial period the Short Term Pollution Human

Health implications of this area.

Two Compliance Licence Conditions are outlined in Attachment 1 entitled “SSHEG Document

March 2014 Mining Pollution Mitigation Priority Action”.

(1) Elimination of Blasting Plumes into the Atmosphere.

(2) Residents in the Broke, Fordwich, Milbrodale, and Bulga Micro Valley to be designated

as “Occupational Exposure to Mining Status“ concurrently with Bulga and Wambo

Mining Operations, requiring Mt Thorley and Warkworth Mining approval being

conditional on compliance Orders regarding Air Quality Gases and Particulates

Standards the same as Underground Miners, such as Time Weighted Average (TWA) and

specifically relating to Short Term Exposure Limits (STEL) .

For “Near Neighbours and Farmers“ that live and work above ground (but nearby Mines)

these Underground Mine Air Quality Standards provide the closest Occupational Health and Safety

Regulations for “Near Neighbours” Air Quality for Human Disease Protection that are quite similar

to Air Pollution Exposure conditions that are being experienced and reported on a daily basis by

Singleton Shire Residents whose Health is being affected by nearby Open Cut Coal Mines.

Community Health Concerns Noise Diseases

Singleton Residents particularly in Camberwell, Long Point and Bulga areas have over a

number of years understood the connection between Families prone to sicknesses and Industrial

Noise particularly from Mine Noise especially Coal Washeries. SSHEG contend that these Noise

sources just like mobile Noise sources need to have noise suppression at the source.

The definitive Medical association between Noise and specific Human Diseases is becoming

clearer as illustrated below in the CAR Seminar Nov 2014 Sydney presentation extracts.

SSHEG in this submission had identified these recent Medical developments, and it is clear

that these considerations have not been evaluated or considered at any stage in this MTW 2014

Continuation assessment process, EIS, or Planning Dept approval process and would not otherwise

be considered by this PAC Process.

SSHEG therefor includes only the following Seminar Presentation Extracts to illustrate the

Health Concerns of Hunter Valley Communities so that a througher PAC investigation can be

reported upon.


PART C Aboriginal & Colonial Heritage

The significance of the environs in and around the Wollombi Brook at the base of the Bulga

Mountain escapement and across to the Hunter River exists today mainly with the few remaining

Aboriginals who retain vivid mental pictures of these land, the legends and land significance tracks,

accompanying their fathers. The June 2010 submission (attachment 2) outlined a long term vision for

the area, as well as to place the somewhat isolates Aboriginal Conservation Proposal fof the MTW

2010 and 2014 proposals in the context of other Mine’s conservation areas, while connecting these

lands to the Bulga Escapement as they are naturally seen to relate (Plan 1).


Extracts from June 2012 Neville Hodkinson Submission June 2010


Singleton Shire Healthy Environment Group

Dr Neville Hodkinson PhD Email:- [email protected]

SSHEG Reference Documents that form major part of this PAC submission

2010 Warkworth Extension Project

Submission Major Project Application 09 0202

Dr Neville Hodkinson June 2010

2011 D086/11 Warkworth Extension Project PAC reference Note*

Document 3 Singleton Healthy Environment Group

Document 22 Lyn Mac Bain

Document 233 Carol Russell

Document 60 Neville Hodkinson

Document 70 Hunter New England Health Letter

2014 MTW Submission references

Attachment 1 “SSHEG Document March 2014 Mining Pollution Mitigation Priority

Action”.

Attachment 2 “Micro Valley Study of Mining coexisting with Residents, Farming,

Vineyards and Horse Studs in the Hunter Valley of NSW Australia”.

Attachment 3 Report on MTW Blast 20th

Sept 2013 BOC Workers “Gassing”

Attachment 4 SSHEG Mod 6 Submission dated 28th

November 2013 which

outlines the Coal Mining Air Pollution Issues.

“MTW Continuation Project PAC Dec...

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