Bylong Coal Mine

I wish to object to the proposed Bylong Coal Project.

The mine would have a devastating effect on groundwater. Not just from destruction of the substrate but from the drawing of water for use for the mine.
Our groundwater exists as large interconnected basins, what affects one affects the others.
Cutting or reducing that flow affects water around the state. Ref map http://realtimedata.water.nsw.gov.au/water.stm

We need to consider the state has a large percent of drought and a history of drought. In 2002 we had over 90% of the state listed as being in drought. https://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/prod/parlment/publications.nsf/0/14207DF7C9F10147CA256ECF00093F38/$File/14-02.pd

Our forecasts have stated a return of El'Nino and associated drought conditions. http://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/agriculture/emergency/seasonal-conditions/regional-seasonal-conditions-reports/seasonal-conditions/oct-2015

With a reduction and cutting of groudwater flow this would affect downstream farmers bores.

A release of polluted mine water back into the groundwater would have a worse affect in terms of contaminating water that would otherwise be useable.

But there are also changes to the natural surface runoff patterns. With such a large construction of the mine this greatly affects the rain surface runoff patterns and affects downstream water catchments. With surface runoff already at a low level this would affect downstream creeks and rivers.
http://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/agriculture/emergency/seasonal-conditions/regional-seasonal-conditions-reports/seasonal-conditions/oct-2015

A change in the surface vegetation of the area will affect local weather patterns, reducing rainfall and increasing temperatures and exacerbating drought conditions. Plants process and release water vapour and affect the local climates humidity, temperature and cause evaporative cooling. By removing vegetation the local weather will have a reduced rainfall pattern. http://climate.ncsu.edu/edu/k12/.vegetation

Removal of vast quantities of vegetation leads to deforestation and desertification. This is by removal / changes to soil substrate and composition, but vegetation and animal cover and social indicators. http://archive.unu.edu/unupress/unupbooks/uu17ee/uu17ee06.htm

A mine will lead to desertification just by the removal of soil organic matter and fertility, the compaction and destruction of soil structure, the decline in quality and volume of ground and surface water, salinization and alkalinization of soils, decrease in above ground biomass, a decrease in animal species and distribution and change in human population and liveability.

With our high extinction rates and increasing reduction in the biodiversity of species we need to protect our havens for species. We have a unique fauna that should be preserved.

Social economic effects on local families and business. The cost to residents to move home, schools, change businesses or restarting from scratch businesses elsewhere, the loss of future economic benefits from an environment that took tens of thousands of years to form but once destroyed will not be able to be reformed for tens of thousands of years.
Tourism from overseas but also Australian travellers can be a large income boost for small towns. http://www.tourism.australia.com/documents/corporate/Tourism-Australia-Annual-Report-2013-2014.pdf

By cutting a major driving thoroughfare it affects all towns that are fed via travellers normally travelling via that route. This means the economy of surrounding towns will have their revenue of tourist dollars reduced.

Overall I object to the proposed Bylong Coal Project as it will have a devastating effect on groundwater and surface water. It will change the surrounding weather patterns and reduce rainfall.
It will reduce flora and fauna biodiversity and soil fertility. It will have social economic effects not just on the local economy but also on the surrounding economy of towns that would normally receive tourists coming through the Bylong Way.

Climate Change Australia - Hastings Branch calls on the NSW government to set a clear policy direction that no new coal mines or extensions to existing mines will be approved in NSW (see first attached file, 2015_NSW_CCA_demands, Demand #2).

Action on climate change has never been more urgent. Global temperatures have increased almost 1°C so far and this has already amounted to increases in the intensity and frequency of extreme weather events in Australia and around the world. Nations of the world are now moving to limit global warming to 2°C.

In order to have a 75% chance of limiting warming to 2°C more than three quarters of global fossil fuel reserves must stay underground, including 88% of existing global coal reserves. This means that all governments now have a clear responsibility to enact a no new coal mines policy and not facilitate any further expansion of the fossil fuel industry.

On the other hand, governments can take advantage of the huge opportunities in the renewable energy and efficiency technologies fields. The world is moving fast on the issues of climate change and clean energy, and governments need to be positioned on the right side of history, and not get caught up in an impending 'carbon bubble, or encourage others to do so, taking the NSW economy down with them (see second file attached).

We urge the NSW government to set a positive example ahead of the Paris climate change negotiations, and shift economic policy development away from fossil fuels and towards a clean energy future.

Please see attachment.

see attached PDF

Family member of the owners of Budden in Bylong Valley. A student who objects to KEPCO's project in Bylong Valley. Aware of the detrimental long-term effects this project will have on the environment and future generations.

Please see attached Submission

The commentary forming the submission of public comment as invited through the Environmental Assessment process of the EP&A Act (1979), is attached for the reference of the department.

See attached uploaded file

See attached.

See attached

Please find attached objection.

M/s Bertha Kay Binns
of Gulgong NSW

Uploaded

Please refer to our attached submission.

Please find submission attached.

Orange Field Naturalist & Conservation Society celebrated its 40th birthday last year.
We are concerned with the despoiling of NSW by the continual construction of new coal mines.
Mines that can't be profitable with the current (and expected future) price for coal.
Once these monster mines are started there is no turning back. Rivers are ruined. Communities are ruined. And rehabilitation is never adequate. No sinking fund is big enough.
Environmental offsets don't come close to replacing what has been destroyed.
Our full submission is attached.

The NSW Government must take heed of lessons learned from other coal mine projects. The Maules Creek coal mine is a perfect example of the failure of the planning processes to accurately predict the impacts of this mine, and its neighbouring Tarrawonga and Boggabri mines.The mines are difficult to monitor, and impossible to properly regulate. Particular caution must be exercised owing to the fact that the KEPCO EA has been prepared by Hansen Bailey, the same consultants responsible for the Maules Creek and Boggabri extension EA's, which are highly flawed documents, full of errors and poor science.Once approved, modifications will be doubtless sought by the proponent KEPCO once the flawed environmental predictions come to light.

Submission Attached

Please find submission attached.

Dear Commission Members

I strongly oppose any plans for coal mining in the Bylong Valley.

Approval for mining near a national park (Wollemi National Park) area should be closely scrutinised given that there are endangered mammals and plants, including the critically endangered Grassy Box Gum. The impacts from noise, coal dust and lights 24 hours a day will impact the adjoining Wollemi NP.

The Department of Planning and Environment approval should take into account the adverse impacts of subsidence. Whether underground or open cut, subsidence occurs from coal extraction and the resultant overburden (the earth removed to extract the coal) can lower surrounding groundwater tables to the detriment of surrounding landscapes and communities. Approval should take into account system springs and fault lines and the impact of subsidence upon them. Subsidence can induce fracturing and affect leakage rates to productive aquifers and thus surrounding communities. It can also reduce surface water flows and quality with the same result. The overburden produces acidity and salinity in surrounding water systems which poses a very real threat of contamination downstream. The discharged water from the mine contaminates waterways, impacting on the agribusinesses in the area.

Coal mining uses vast quantities of water to wash the coal (separating it from other minerals or rock present), for drilling, dust suppression and mining communities. On average, each tonne of coal requires 200 litres of water (http://www.csrm.uq.edu.au/docs/MCA_SOTA.pdf). A mine producing 5 million tonnes per annum will use a gigalitre (1,000,000,000) of water. Coal mining water is sourced from bore fields, rivers and dams in direct competition with a sustainable but vulnerable agriculture sector and the towns and communities around it. The economic benefits are negligible as they are only temporary, whereas farming and tourism are on-going and the benefits are directly felt by those communities.

The cost of rehabilitation has traditionally been greater than the security deposit placed on it. According to the Audit Office of Queensland, "the financial assurance held is often insufficient to cover the estimated cost of rehabilitation and is rarely enforced".

In this environment, it is difficult to believe Kepco's promise to the community not to violate the integrity of the floodplains along Lee Creek when two open cut mines will straddle them. Mining plans change as they develop, and it would make sense to Kepco to close the gap between the mines by mining the floodplains and Lee Creek. By that stage, there will be no water left to preserve there.

Additionally, the transportation of coal and resultant exposure of coal dust along the routes that it travels has impacts on many communities. The World Health Organisation (WHO) concluded that coal dust contributes to a range of diseases and health problems including respiratory illness, cardiovascular diseases and lung cancer. Particles penetrate the lungs and are difficult for the body to expel. Over time they accumulate and do more damage. WHO stated that there is no safe level of exposure to coal dust. Studies have found that coal dust exposure increased exposure to semi-volatile compounds like polyaromatic hydrocarbons which have been linked to cardiopulmonary and respiratory disease (http://www.atmospolres.com/articles/volume5/issue2/apr-14-040.pdf).

This additional mine would increase coal traffic, thus health risks, significantly on the existing line. Even without it an extra mine, the coal freight carried on that line seemed overstretched and I noticed long delays for returning trains to pass during my time in the Bylong Valley.

The area has had 239 Aboriginal culturally significant sites identified with over half of this at risk from mining activities and a shocking 102 within the proposed open cut area. The Bylong Valley is a highly significant valley surrounded by sandstone cliff formations, and home to Tarwyn Park, which should be preserved as the home of Natural Sequence Farming by Peter Andrews and continued by his son.

I would suggest that the economic benefits of tourism and agriculture are sustainable industries and would support the NSW economy over a longer period of time and without the harmful long-term effects of the coalmines.

Please do not approve Kepco's application for a coalmine in this stunning and historic valley.

Yours sincerely,

Claudia Caton