The head of the NSW Environment Protection Authority wants his agency to play a leading role in helping the construction industry identify new opportunities for coal ash reuse.
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He is backed by Lake Macquarie MP Greg Piper who has called for the material - a byproduct of coal-fired electricity production - to be classified as a resource rather than a waste product.
About 200 million tonnes of coal ash waste is currently dumped in unlined sites across NSW. More than half of the material is stored in the Hunter and Central Coast at sites including Liddell, Bayswater, Eraring, Vales Point and Munmorah.
Existing studies show the material, which is growing at at rate of 3.8 million tonnes a year, contains heavy metals - including mercury, lead, arsenic, selenium and chromium.
Coal ash has been used in several road and construction projects in recent years as part of an attempt to reduce the amount which is dumped in power station ash dams.
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EPA chief executive Tony Chappel said he was keen to facilitate greater use of the material.
"As we look at decarbonisation in construction - cement, steel, road base - these are all critical, high carbon products and we know the resource in ash dams can be repurposed safely and beneficially to lower the embodied carbon and some of those products," he said.
"We're very focused now on bringing that agenda to life.
The EPA is presently involved in a research project with the cement industry to identify commercial opportunities for coal reuse.
"I know there are great examples around the world where it's been done effectively. I think it's going to be a very useful resource," he said.
Mr Piper, a long-standing advocate of coal ash recycling, said a fundamental attitude shift was required to realise the potential of coal ash.
"We should stop thinking about it as a waste product. We have got a massive resource here and we should be making use of it," he said.
Mr Piper said he supported the goal of eventually recovering all of the coal ash deposits in the Hunter.
"Can it be done? Of course it can be done. It's about turning it into a resource that has enough value to justify recovering it. We shouldn't be looking to subsidise it, it's something that should be properly valued," he said.
"My understanding is that it's easier to recover from some places than others. The Eraring one in particular because it's a singular, large deep resource. The Vales Point and Munmorah resources are more widespread and shallower."
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Matthew Kelly
Matthew Kelly has worked as a journalist for more than 25 years. He has been working as a general reporter at the Newcastle Herald since 2018. In recent years he has reported on subjects including environment, energy, water security, manufacturing and higher education. He has previously covered issues including the health and environmental impacts of uncovered coal wagons in the Hunter Valley, the pollution of legacy of former industrial sites and freedom of information issues.
Matthew Kelly has worked as a journalist for more than 25 years. He has been working as a general reporter at the Newcastle Herald since 2018. In recent years he has reported on subjects including environment, energy, water security, manufacturing and higher education. He has previously covered issues including the health and environmental impacts of uncovered coal wagons in the Hunter Valley, the pollution of legacy of former industrial sites and freedom of information issues.
