Post on 05-Jul-2020
Dr Neville Hodkinson PhD Page 1
Without Prejudice
R028/14 Mount Thorley Extension 2014
R027/14 Warkworth Continuation 2014
Kate Wedgwood
GPO Box 3415 Sydney NSW 2001
Email: pac@pac.nsw.gov.au 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
Dr Neville Hodkinson PhD Page 2
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.
Dr Neville Hodkinson PhD Page 3
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.
Dr Neville Hodkinson PhD Page 4
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.
Dr Neville Hodkinson PhD Page 7
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).
Dr Neville Hodkinson PhD Page 8
Extracts from June 2012 Neville Hodkinson Submission June 2010
Dr Neville Hodkinson PhD
Singleton Shire Healthy Environment Group
Dr Neville Hodkinson PhD Email:- ssheg@hotmail.com Page 9
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.