LOWER Hunter community and environment groups are calling for the introduction of a national pollution control act to help prevent ongoing exceedences of air pollution standards in the region.
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It follows the release of two major studies looking at air pollution in the Lower Hunter on Wednesday.
The Environment Protection Authority commissioned the particle characterisation study and the dust deposition study to provide clear, scientific information about the region’s air quality. They complement the 2013 Upper Hunter air particle characterisation study.
The studies, conducted during 2014 and 2015, sampled fine particles, which have a diameter of less than 2.5 microns, at four sites: Newcastle, Beresfield, Mayfield and Stockton. Coarse particles were sampled at Mayfield and Stockton over a 12 month period.
While Hunter air quality remains good by world standards, the studies found that sea salt was the largest contributor of both fine and coarse inhalable particles.
Other sources included sulfates and nitrates from fossil fuel burning industries, wood smoke, soils and vehicles.
Coal, which was identified in the carbon component of soil particulates, was found to be a relatively minor source of air pollution. It represented about 4 per cent of fine particle pollution and about 10 per cent of coarse particle pollution.
NSW Environment Protection Authority chief executive Barry Buffier said the studies provided valuable information about air quality.
“These results will be invaluable in helping to target our resources as well as ensure we develop specific air quality programs that address the key areas of concern.”
While welcoming the study, Hunter community groups have called for tougher air quality regulation, including a national pollution control act.
“We look to the NSW government to focus on those pollution sources that can be controlled,” Environmental Justice Australia spokesman James Whelan said.
NSW Minerals Council chief executive Stephen Galilee said the reports provided a clear and objective assessment of Lower Hunter air pollution.
"This research also contradicts the alarmist rhetoric used by some in relation to coal’s impact on air quality in the Lower Hunter”.
"Air quality in the region is good, meeting Australia's strict national standards the vast majority of the time. Coal dust is a relatively small contributor to particulate pollution in the region”.
The Office of Environment and Heritage, CSIRO, the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation carried out the three year particle characterisation study.
Orica pollution in spotlight, but study finds coal is a minor pollutant
DANGEROUS ammonium nitrate emissions contribute up to 40 per cent of fine particle air pollution in Stockton, exposing the seaside suburb’s residents to high levels of industrial toxins.
Community and environment groups have seized on the findings in the Lower Hunter Particle Characterisation study, which was released on Wednesday, to demand the state government crack down on pollution from Orica’s ammonium nitrate plant, which is several hundred metres from homes.
Levels of fine particle pollution at Stockton, which consists of particles less than 2.5 microns in diameter, exceeded national guidelines several times during the two-year study.
“The community demands that Orica and the coal terminal operators implement best practice pollution controls. This includes installing scrubbers and other emission reduction technology at the ammonium plant and entirely enclosing the coal stockpiles,” Stockton Residents Action Group spokesman Keith Craig said.
The characterisation study, one of two air quality studies released on Wednesday, found the region’s air quality was relatively good by world standards.
Sea salt was found to be the major source of Lower Hunter particle pollution, however, coal only represented a relatively minor component of overall air pollution.
Ammonium nitrate made up 19 per cent of Stockton’s annual average fine particle pollution load. It peaked at about 40 per cent in winter due to prevailing off-shore winds.
The chemical was found at lower concentrations at Beresfield, Newcastle and Mayfield.
Principle research scientist Dr Mark Hibberd said the research team was surprised at the high ammonium nitrate levels at Stockton.
“In our initial analysis we had the ammonium and the nitrate separately and it wasn’t until we put it together in the full analysis that we identified that it was ammonium nitrate. We then came back and looked at potential sources. We were quite surprised to find that level of primary particles,” Dr Hibberd said.
EPA Hunter Region manager Adam Gilligan said Orica presently complied with its environmental protection licence.
Complying with levels that are set by regulation is one thing, but we also need to look at the impact on the surrounding environment. It’s now about us having a direct dialog with Orica about how we go about reducing that,” he said.
Orica Kooragang Island site manager, Scott Reid, said the findings of the air quality study provide a valuable benchmark against which operational improvements at the plant could be monitored.
“We understand and share the community’s desire for lower emissions in general. We have taken and are continuing to take very significant steps to play our part in this.”
“Since the data in the report was collected we have made numerous changes at the site that we anticipate will result in reduced PM2.5 emissions.”
