Air quality declines as fears of pollution-related diseases grow

BY GEMMA FERGUSON

The Upper Hunter region has experienced a decline in air quality this year. Health professionals, such as Dr Bob Vickers, are concerned about the impacts of this.

Camberwell is one example, a village that has exceeded the national air quality standards for course particle pollution 52 times already this year. This is already more than the 44 recorded last year, and the total of 126 for years 2011 through to 2017.

Bob Vickers says there's been an increase in chronic and acute diseases associated with worsening air quality.

"Certainly, what everyone seems to be aware of is the link between air pollution and lung diseases like asthma, emphysema, hay-fever, and sinus symptoms - but we're actually getting more and more evidence that fine particle pollution can lead to really long-term damage with regards to stroke, heart disease, dementia, pregnancy issues, diabetes," he said.

Bob Vickers said he's especially worried for drought-stricken mining towns like Camberwell, which is surround by a total of eight mines.

"The data coming from our monitoring networks for places like Camberwell is really worrying. For example, when we had the dust storm last week. Everyone assumed there was nothing we could do, it was just a weather-related event, and the whole state really did suffer - but, looking at the Upper Hunter monitoring system, Camberwell had an average fine particle pollution reading of 39, before the storm even hit," he explained.

The national standard dictates that the number should never exceed 25 within a 24 hour period, so it's clear Camberwell's air quality isn't what it should be, according to this measure.

Concerned locals have called on the Government to perform a health risk assessment of Camberwell and surrounding Upper Hunter communities facing similar air quality problems.

However, their request was met by NSW Minerals Council Chief Executive, Stephen Galilee, who suggested worried residents relocate. He offered advice on the rules in place for when problems like this arise, saying affected residents have the right to ask a nearby mine to purchase their property and move somewhere else.

"It's really frustrating to see the Minerals Council CEO saying the solution is residents having to move, I think that's really unfair," Bob Vickers concluded.

Image credit: The Singleton Argus

Newcastle Set to Host Air Quality Review Forum

BY LILLY HAINES

Newcastle is set to host an air quality forum next week to discuss proposed new standards for toxic air pollutants in the region.

A government committee reviewing national air pollution standards is visiting the area to hear from people affected by exposure to toxic gas air pollutants.

The review process is looking at the levels of oxides of nitrogen and related gases sulphur dioxide and ozone.

The review of ambient air pollutants is occurring 21 years after national air pollution standards were introduced.

Doctors for the Environment Australia (DEA) issued a report in February showing coarse particle pollution had worsened in many parts of NSW over the past 12 months, including areas in the Hunter.

The report showed coarse particles exceeded the annual standard at nine locations, up from 2 locations in 2017 and none in previous years.

Eight of these locations were located in the Hunter at sites including Mt Thorley, Singleton, Muswellbrook, Mayfield, Carrington, and Beresfield.

"The Hunter region has quite high levels of particle air pollution both for coarse particles which are mostly coming from coal mines and for finer particles which are coming from fires and coal-fired power stations," Dr Ben Ewald from DEA said.

Dr Ewald said there is also a problem with sulphur dioxide air pollution, which he says is mostly emitted by the power stations but can also come from aluminium smelting.

"Nitrogen dioxide tends to be more of a problem down in Sydney because it's mostly a traffic related thing, but sulphur dioxide is a problem in places like Muswellbrook with exposure to power stations," said Dr Ewald.

"And that shows up also in the monitors close to the Tomago aluminium smelter."

Dr Ewald also said there are serious health risks linked to exposure to ambient gases, with fine particle pollutants increasing the risk of heart attacks and strokes as well as having an association with lung cancer.

Respiratory irritations, like triggering asthma attacks, have been linked to suplhur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide exposure with statistics showing a greater proportion of people experience respiratory irritations in the Upper Hunter than other parts of the state.

The air quality forum will be held at Newcastle Town Hall on Tuesday 23rd July beginning at 5:30pm.

Liddell Power Station near Muswellbrook. Image: AAP. 

Legal Challenge to NSW Pollution Licences

BY ALICE PEART

The NSW Nature Conservation Council are mounting a legal challenge against the state government over their recent renewal of pollution licences for three coal-fired power stations, two of which are located in Hunter at Vale Point and Eraring.

Pollution licences were initially issued across the state in the 1970s and '80s when the stations were built, with renewals required every five years by the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA).

The NSW Nature Conservation Council however is claiming the licences do not meet the legal standards by failing to review best practice in pollution reduction.

Technologies such as Flue-gas are already in use across the US, Europe and Asia and can reduce pollution up to 99 per cent.

The Conservation Council said the stakes are high with 279 deaths attributable to air pollution each year from the stations in NSW alone.

They've said 160,000 tonnes of toxic air pollution is produced by the stations every year, including heavy metals (lead, arsenic and mercury), sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides and PM fine particles.

PM fine particles on their own are well documented to cause lung cancer, respiratory illness, heart attack and stroke according to the World Health Organisation.

The environmental advocacy group say they are awaiting a response to their court summons from the EPA.

Benzene Levels Overstated but Pollution Concerns Remain

BY MADELAINE MCNEILL

Mayfield residents can breathe easier after it was revealed Koppers Carbon Materials and Chemicals has been overstating the levels of benzene and other toxic pollutants emitted from its Mayfield plant.

The EPA undertook a six-month-long investigation following community complaints and a major error was discovered in the way Koppers was measuring pollution levels.

An independent air quality assessment found levels of toxic pollutants were only about 10% of the figures previously reported to the National Pollutant Inventory.

However, despite the EPA's assurance that the adjusted air pollution levels comply with current regulations, some residents are left unsure of what to believe.

Correct Planning and Consultation for Mayfield convenor John Hayes says residents are being asked to take on faith what the paid consultants of Koppers are telling them.

The conflicting reports have fueled the community's calls for Koppers to implement a "fair dinkum" ongoing independent emissions monitoring system.

"We think the community is entitled to have that independent monitoring installed," John Hayes said.

"Other industries have had to make contributions towards costs for those sorts of things, including Orica, and I don't see any reason why Koppers shouldn't be asked to do it."

Koppers will be joined by the EPA and other relevant agencies in hosting a community information session this weekend for those interested in learning more about the situation.

The information session will be held at Koppers' Mayfield plant this Saturday, July 14th beginning at 10am.

Koppers Mayfield. Picture: Newcastle Herald

Newcastle's 2304 Now A Nicer Place To Live

BY IAN CROUCH.

It's been regarded as one of Newcastle's most polluted postcodes for years, but new data shows that's all changed.

The National Pollution Inventory shows there's been a marked decline in air pollution in suburbs within the 2304 postcode over the past 5 years.

2304 takes in Kooragang, Mayfield, Mayfield West, Warabrook and Sandgate.

An analysis of air quality data shows levels of 16 major airborne pollutants like ammonia, fluoride, oxides of nitrogen, sulphur dioxide and carbon monoxide had fallen dramatically.

The reductions are being attributed to tougher pollution controls placed on major industry in the area.

However, residents say dust pollution continues to be a big issue - especially coal dust from the coal loaders, coal trains and coal trucks.

Although dust pollution has also dropped significantly in the postcode, the data shows fine particulate pollution from Port Waratah Coal Services coal loading facilities increased by 77 percent over the past five years.

It's thought the switch from vehicles which use unleaded petrol to those which use diesel at the PWCS sites is the reason behind the rise - diesel fueled vehicles produce more PM2.5 particulate emissions than unleaded vehicles.

The installation of automated dust management systems at Mayfield has resulted in better air quality. A requirement to improve dust management from coal wagons has also been introduced.

Port Waratah Coal Services Kooragang Coal Terminal Picture: pwcs.com.au