As record rains fall around the eastern states and flood warnings are being issued, the last thing that Gem Green expected to hear was that dust was being reported blowing off the Cadia Valley Operations tailings storage facility.
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As chair of the Cadia Community Sustainability Network, Ms Green questions just how, on October 13, neighbours surrounding the mine witnessed the dust rising off the surface of the TSF.
"The reach we received from posting the images and video on social media was just enormous," she said.
"From a public health point of view we shared the information and we got a lot of responses from Cowra and Canowindra which is where the dust plume was heading."
In August Cadia Valley Operations was slapped with the largest fine the NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA) is authorised to dish out, and a spokesperson for CVO said that a deluge of rain can significantly hinder their dust management program.
Not only does the rain degrade the quality of the polymer dust suppressant and hydromulch products they've applied on the tailings facilities, it also stops them from getting onto the dam to keep applying the product.
Add to that the drying effect of 60km/h winds during the evening, with wind gusts up to 90 km/hr on the roads surrounding the TSF, and the risk of dust is high.
Cadia's General Manager Aaron Brannigan said in a statement that Cadia acknowledges the concerns of the community regarding the dust issues.
"Cadia has been working to proactively manage dust from its onsite tailings storage facilities utilising a mix of aircraft and land-based equipment to apply dust suppression products since mid-2018," he said.
"To assist with dust mitigation over the summer months, and to accelerate the application of dust suppression products, Cadia will take delivery of an additional land-based vehicle in the coming weeks and an aerial campaign is scheduled to resume in early November (weather permitting).
"Ultimately, returning the Tailings Storage Facilities to operation will materially reduce dust events.
"Reducing any negative impact we have on our neighbours remains one of Cadia's highest priorities."
The wind speed reached a maximum average speed of approximately 60 km/hr (10-minute average measured at Southern Lease Boundary Weather Station) during the evening, with wind gusts up to 90 km/hr.
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Mark Logan
Started working in newspapers in the 1990's in the darkroom of the Pastoral Times in Deniliquin before moving to Millthorpe in 2003. Soon after arriving I started as a photographer at the CWD. Now a journalist at the Blayney Chronicle.
Started working in newspapers in the 1990's in the darkroom of the Pastoral Times in Deniliquin before moving to Millthorpe in 2003. Soon after arriving I started as a photographer at the CWD. Now a journalist at the Blayney Chronicle.
