MOD 11 - water management during MPPS outages

It is a disgrace that this is being considered. Centennial has been found to have breached its environmental licence more than 1,000 times in the region over the years.

20 years ago I would camp with my kids by the Colo River at Upper Colo Reserve and we would observe a plethora of yabbies, baby eels, baby bass, scampi and fresh water muscles on these trips. All gone! We could drink the water we were swimming in. Not now! The damage is generational and yet it goes on.

Stop this pollution NOW!!

Grant

This proposal should not be approved since it puts at risk a) Sydney water quality and b) endangered species in nearby areas.

Burning coal is killing life on earth. There are no excuses for perpetuating the destruction. The arts employ more people. There are jobs in alternate energy that miners can walk into.

Centennial should be required to treat mine water to ensure that any discharge fully removes contaminants like heavy metals, salt and brine and deliver the zero release system they proposed when the water treatment plant was approved. Anything less threatens the safety of Sydney’s drinking water supply and water dependent ecosystems, including endangered and threatened species.

If Centennial is unable to do this, Springvale mine must be closed and alternative coal supplies found for Mount Piper power station.
It is not good enough for Centennial to self-monitor the level of contaminants as they have proposed. Centennial has been found to have breached its environmental licence more than 1400 times across 7 coal mine sites in the Greater Blue Mountains region[2].

I am strongly opposed to this proposal and deeply concerned for the health of Sydney’s drinking water and the ecological value of the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area and its associated wildlife such as the platypus if this proposal is approved.

Water experts have previously warned that blending or dilution of dirty water with treated water will exacerbate, rather than address, pollution of the Sydney drinking water catchment as overall load of pollutants will drastically rise.

Two previous applications from Centennial seeking to discharge megalitres of mine waste into Wangcol Creek were withdrawn, and this ‘dilute and discharge’ approach would be far worse as it involves far more polluted water.

If this first proposal is approved, it would result in a huge increase in pollution, heavy metal and salinity load into the receiving environment. Higher salinity means lower oxygen, which reduces food for platypus. Elecro-receptors on their bill locate prey, however salinity disrupts these, they can’t find food and starve to death.

As Mount Piper power station may remain open until the early 2040s, Centennial is seeking permission to dilute and discharge water from Thompsons Creek Reservoir during scheduled offline maintenance periods for the lifetime of the water treatment plant. This could mean up to or around 15 years of huge volumes of dirty water discharge for up to 111 days at a time.
Centennial should be required to treat mine water to ensure that any discharge fully removes contaminants like heavy metals, salt and brine and deliver the zero release system they proposed when the water treatment plant was approved. This water is the result of their profit making coal mining and it is their responsibility to deal with it without externalizing the coast to the community. Anything less threatens the safety of Sydney’s drinking water supply and water dependent ecosystems, including endangered and threatened species. If Centennial is unable to do this, Springvale mine must be closed and alternative coal supplies found for Mount Piper power station.

It is not good enough for Centennial to self-monitor the level of contaminants as they have proposed. Centennial has been found to have breached its environmental licence more than 1400 times across 7 coal mine sites in the Greater Blue Mountains region.

There is no ‘plan B’ to divert mine water if monitoring reveals higher than expected salinity levels. The planning department must require Centennial to significantly reduce the mining intensity at its underground coal mines to protect the natural environment and to reduce the volume of wastewater sent to Mount Piper power station.
The government should commission a public inquiry into mine wastewater produced by Centennial’s underground coal mines in the Gardens of Stone region.

Mod 11 proposes in increase the volume of partly treated mine-waste water entering Thompson Creek Reservoir, for periods ranging from 20 days to 111 days. Section 7.1.2.3 states that releases of water from TCR will increase if Mod 11 is approved, up to 18.5 megalitres a day. Thus, partly treated mine waste water will be dumped into Thompson Creek, entering the Cox's River catchment. The statement 'The proposed modification will have no significant environmental impacts on the existing physical environment' is misleading (page iv).