Environmental groups say the Baird government is "playing Russian roulette" in Sydney's water catchment by approving coalmining without a full understanding of its impacts, taking a "damage first, fix later" approach.

The groups, the NSW National Parks Association (NPA) and the Nature Conservation Council, are also critical of a Department of Planning and Environment report released last week that identified almost 90 impacts caused by three longwall mines at the Dendrobium colliery, then owned by BHP Billiton. It found "low-level" effects consistent with predictions, despite a creek drying out for 600 metres.

That mining is believed to be the most aggressive coalmine ever attempted beneath the Special Areas, the core of Sydney's water catchment, and amongst the most aggressive in NSW.

A dried out creek above the Dendrobium mine in the Special Areas.
A dried out creek above the Dendrobium mine in the Special Areas. Photo: Julie Sheppard

The report was prompted by the NPA and an article by the Sydney Morning Herald in July that detailed how BHP had been granted the expansion without a groundwater impact assessment that matched the proposed mining. South 32, the company spun off from BHP which now runs the mine, is expected to seek approval soon to continue with five more longwalls of the same type.

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"Coal trumps science, economics and common sense in NSW," Peter Turner, mining projects science officer for the NPA, said. "This is clearly demonstrated by the department's report on mining impacts at Area 3B of the Dendrobium mine, released days before closing for Christmas."

Mining in the catchment is again an issue because Wollongong Coal, formerly Indian-owned Gujarat NRE Coking Coal, is seeking Planning Assessment Commission approval for a third-layer extraction of coal at the nearby Russell Vale Colliery.

When the stream returns, it has heavy iron contamination.
When the stream returns, it has heavy iron contamination. Photo: Julie Sheppard

Dr Turner said the department appeared to be unconcerned about the impacts of the fracturing of the rock as coal was  extracted. The resulting subsidence creates a so-called drainage zone that can divert water that can damage vital surface wetlands and diminish flows into reservoirs. (See chart below.)



"The department's position appears to assume this doesn't happen, but there are predictions that it has and will happen at the Dendrobium and Russell Vale mines," Dr Turner said, adding that it should be insisting miners drill monitoring bores over the centre of the mining segments, or longwalls, and make the information public.

The tributary of the Wongawilli Creek before the longwall mining at Dendrobium.
The tributary of the Wongawilli Creek before the longwall mining at Dendrobium. Photo: Julie Sheppard

"The drainage zone height over the centre of the existing double-seam extractions at Russell Vale needs to be directly determined in order to properly assess the risk that the zone formed by the proposed new mining will intersect a shear plane carrying water from nearby Cataract Reservoir before approval is given for the new mining," said Dr Turner, "This hasn't been done."

"Given the importance of Cataract Reservoir as a supply source for southern Sydney and Wollongong, it's very disturbing that the mine might be approved without this vital knowledge," Dr Turner said. "It would amount to playing Russian roulette with the reservoir."

The Department of Planning, though, said the claims were misleading.

"All state significant mining in NSW, including at Dendrobium, is subject to rigorous assessment of all environmental, economic and social impacts," a spokesperson said.

"The mine, like all state significant mining in NSW, will be subject to regular and on-going inspections by the department's Compliance Officers to ensure the mine is adhering to its consent conditions.

A tributary of Wongawilli Creek has now dried out over 600 metres.
A tributary of Wongawilli Creek has now dried out over 600 metres. Photo: Julie Sheppard

Drying out

The department probe into the Dendrobium mine found 89 negative impacts, adding to more than 340 impacts identified in Areas 1, 2 and 3A by the Office of Environment & Heritage in 2012. The department's report doesn't address impacts from these areas or from the adjoining Wongawilli mine – which was also owned by BHP Billiton.

The impacts included the permanent draining of 600 metres of a tributary of the Wongawilli Creek to the drying and probably dying of wetlands that help provide a steady flow of water even during drought.

"The report found that every water-storing swamp undermined by these new longwall [mines] has been harmed," Kate Smolski, chief executive of the Nature Conservation Council, said.

"Every time coal companies apply for a new longwall in the catchment, they assure us they can manage the risks. But time and again, their predictions prove wrong and we are left with dry streams and dead wetlands."

"We have no confidence Wollongong Coal can manage the Russell Vale expansion to avoid the same sort of damage to sensitive areas as have occurred at Dendrobium," Ms Smolski said.

No breach

The department's probe found "no breach of the strict performance measures in place to manage environmental impacts" at the Illawarra Coalmine, a unit of South 32.

"[T]he majority of impacts were low-level and consistent with what had been predicted in environmental studies consider

Coal is finished, but before demand dries up completely coal miners, and the state govts that collect royalties from them, will be in a race to dig up as much of the stuff and ship it out.

A major city’s water supply means nothing in this desperate rush for a last grab of coal money.

Swagman wrote on Dec 20^th, 2015 at 9:25pm:


Profits before people and the environment, well done Baird.