The Hunter Valley Protection Alliance claims dust levels in the Upper Hunter recently reached levels close to being hazardous to human health.
On the 17th and 18th of August, the Department of Environment and Heritage issued health alerts warning of high levels of dust pollution.
Stephen Galilee from the Mineral Council of NSW stated there was a lack of evidence in a Senate inquiry report recommending ways to reduce coal dust pollution.
"There is no evidence in the report that demonstrates how the Committee has logically come to its recommendation," Galilee said, “The recommendation to implement covers on all coal wagons on the Hunter
coal rail network ignores the evidence that shows coal dust from trains
to be a relatively small source of particulates."
Graeme Gibson from the Hunter Valley Protection Alliance says Galilee's claims are wrong.
"There's just no sense to what he is saying," said Gibson "It's quite wrong and he's just trying to paint the mining industry in a better light."
"He cannot deny that the department has measured the dust levels. He cannot deny that it was nearly 100 micrograms per cubic metre on at 6am on the 18th of August."
The alerts coincided with yesterday's Knights game where 5000 miners and their family wore high visibility vest in support of mining in the Hunter.
