Bayswater Power Station Upgrade

Providing options on behalf of two businesses for a partnership to manage and redirect fly ash for beneficial reuse.

Submission and supporting documents as attached.

Please see attached HCEC submission (objection)

Although the Bayswater upgrade will see a much-needed increase in coal-ash reuse, I think Bayswater can do better!
I am lodging an objection urging Bayswater to do better, and do their bit to clean-up polluting coal-ash waste they've been dumping free of charge for decades!
🚫Risky coal-ash reuse practices with little community benefit, (which saw owner AGL fined for sale of ash with un-safe heavy metal levels)
❌Dumps coal-ash in mine void
🚫Proposal lacks ANY information about water pollution risks from heavy metal leachate
❌Proposed coal-ash reuse of up to 1 000 000 million tonnes with no detail about where, how or what!?
🚫No plans to safely, beneficially & economically reuse decontaminated coal-ash in building products
❌ Taking a "cap and monitor pollution" approach to so-called remediation of huge toxic coal-ash dump sites

Although the Bayswater upgrade will see a much-needed increase in coal-ash reuse, we think Bayswater can do better!
Risky coal-ash reuse practices with little community benefit, (which saw owner AGL fined for sale of ash with un-safe heavy metal levels)
Dumps coal-ash in mine void
Proposal lacks ANY information about water pollution risks from heavy metal leachate
Proposed coal-ash reuse of up to 1 000 000 million tonnes with no detail about where, how or what!?
No plans to safely, beneficially & economically reuse decontaminated coal-ash in building products
Taking a "cap and monitor pollution" approach to so-called remediation of huge toxic coal-ash dump sites
Bayswater needs to do better, and do their bit to clean-up polluting coal-ash waste they've been dumping free of charge for decades!

TfNSW advice is attached.

Please email your acknowledgement by return

Nature Conservation Council of NSW objects to this project and have attached a submission detailing our response.

1.The Environmental Impact Statement in its current form is incomplete and as it currently stands is lacking key information for a consent authority to make a decision. The EIS fails to:
• describe the hydrogeology of the project area which is crucial to approval. This will inform detail of groundwater flows, recharge areas and discharge areas.
• define aquifers in the area that could be affected by the industrial operations and coal ash disposal practices.

As a result, the EIS fails to assess the full implications of ongoing coal ash disposal in the repository. Given that the EP&A Act has specific requirements around what an EIS should include, the Department should evaluate the compliance of this EIS with the Act.

2.More transparency is required around coal ash reuse
The EIS proposes an ambitious target for coal ash reuse, seeking to recycle 1 million tonnes of coal ash. While coal ash reuse is a good thing, the ambitiousness of the proposed reuse rate is concerning. as there is little market demand for coal ash.

Without a strong market for coal ash reuse, AGL must provide transparency regarding what will happen to coal ash in the case it cannot be reused. A thorough reuse and disposal plan will assure the community and the Department that this enormous amount of coal ash will not be dumped in abandoned mine pits. Coal ash is toxic and if not carefully disposed of can contaminate air, soil and water.

NSW has a very poor record of ash dam management. The application should not proceed until the the NSW Upper House Inquiry into coal ash has concluded and the report made public. Nor should any further work be undertaken without full consideration of the liabilities of coal ash contamination and cleanup. A recent SO52 in NSW Parliament showed high levels of heavy metal contamination at all ash dams including Bayswater. Its is unclear how the applicant will guarantee public safety and environmental protections, or how the community can benefit. Reuse methods and markets are unclear. While safe reuse may be commendable if done well, this application does not provide sufficient information to determine if that is the case.

BCD's comments are attached.

Submission from Muswellbrook Shire Council

DPIE Water and NRAR response attached for your review and action.

See attached submission.

The Coal-ash Community Alliance Inc. oppose this project as per our submission on the impacts on the environment.

TfNSW Response to EIS was sent to Mandana Mazahen on 29/07/2020 from the Hunter Region and Outer Metropolitan team as the lead for TfNSW.

Dear Minister Kean,

I implore you to somehow try and overrule this crazy proposition with respect to AGL's proposed ash dam expansion. The last thing the Upper Hunter needs is an augmentation of Bayswater's Ash Dam.

I missed the deadline to write a submission but to be honest I am sick of writing them. I have been doing them for decades, and seriously the planet has never been sicker. It is quite clear to me now that my submissions have never made a difference.

When are we going to face the fact that we are facing an existential threat and that making the case for emergency climate action has never been so urgent?

Ash dam expansions are not part of emergency climate action and in fact management of ash dams in the Upper Hunter is of great concern. Many of us up here have not forgotten how Bayswater and Liddell both suspended the sale of their coal ash awhile back due to ash having been found to contain elevated levels of heavy metals. So we are wondering now why are we giving AGL free kicks now and letting them have another go?

How is expanding the ash dam going to fix the dire issue of toxic pollution that ash dams cause?

As I am sure you are aware, this pollution issue is an issue for all coal fired power stations, and surely everyone remembers that Myuna Bay Sport Recreation Centre was shut down due to concerns about Eraring Power Station's nearby ash dam?

Making these dams bigger will not fix the problems that power stations face. The toxic nature of coal ash is a major health risk for nearby communities, and communities need protection from recklessly wilful development put forward by fossil fuel companies.

In my opinion the simplest way to sort out the coal ash problem plaguing Australia right now is to shut down all coal fired power stations.

Coal is finished, and whilst some Australian politicians remain joined at the hip to coal, the general sentiment on the street is that "coal will leave Australia before Australia leaves coal."

When I think about the Bayswater Ash Dam expansion proposal, and the Narrabri Gas Project proposal, and the Dartbrook Mine appeal, and the West Muswellbrook Coal Project, and the Mt Pleasant proposed 2048 extension and so on, I really do start believing that our children and our grandchildren have no future, and that it will be curtains for us all in just a matter of years.

I am writing this email to you as a grandmother, but I would like to let you know that I am also a councillor on the Upper Hunter Shire Council, and never has anything that I have done in my life been more depressing or repressive. I have no hope for the future, and everything seems utterly pointless.

Our planet is dying, and we are dying along with our beautiful planet. To date Australian governments have shown no real appetite to try and turn this 'shit-show' around, and as a result of corruption and cronyism, fossil fuel projects continue to be approved.

I am out of words and thoughts, but thank you anyway for your time and consideration. I object to the Bayswater Ash Dam expansion and hope someone in your government does too.

Kind regards,
Sue

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