Mod 6 - Extraction Rate Increase

I object to this modification as I have been forced from my home at Wybong and my family by the noise and dust that comes from Mangoola and the effect it has had on everyone who lives there.

I want to live on my family property at Wybong and Mangoola have destroyed it along with my family.

They should fix my home and my family and community first.

I cannot live at my home that has been at Wybong because of Mangoola. I object to the extraction increase.

I would like to make a submission against Mangoola Mine expansion and request to join the Hunter salinity trading scheme: Application number 06_0014 MOD6 .
* Hunter Salinity Trading Scheme : When Xstrata purchased Mangoola (Then Anvil Hill) it did so KNOWING that there was no access to the Hunter Salinity trading scheme .The reason there was no access to the scheme then (the same reason that Ulan mine cannot join the scheme) is explained by the Department of planning: In the Upper Hunter, due to the "limited catchment and relatively short length of the rivers above the gauging stations ...a flow event in the river would pass the mine discharge point before it could be classified as a `high flow' event ,because the flow volume at Singleton could not be predicted." (Coal Mining Potential in the Upper Hunter Valley-Strategic Assessment.Dec.2009 . NSW DOP.). The river hasn't changed in length since then. Xstrata should not be permitted to join the scheme .Indeed it was presumptuous for Xstrata to place an exit pipe on the Hunter River bank (to enable their intake pipe to become an exit pipe) .Perhaps they thought the rules would be changed just for them?
* Dirty Mine water: The current EPL and the modification approval do not permit the release of saline water from the site .The Mangoola Coal Annual Environment Management Report for 2012 clearly shows saline water is seeping from the site ,both ground water and surface water as some monitoring sites have high Ec. Clearly what Xstrata is doing is not working well . The pit water dam exceeds trigger values for Ec,Na+,Cl-,tot N,Zn,Fe & TDS yet this is designed to overflow into Anvil Creek !.Xstrata don't mention what they use in the CHPP to wash coal. Usually : "several chemicals such as magnetite ,methyl iso-butyl carbinol(MIBC),diesel and flocculants are added to the water to aid various aspects of the process." ( Waste Streams in Black Coal mining and Coal-Fired Power Generation. Research report 42.S J Day.,K W Riley ,CSIRO ) .If they use these chemicals I did not see them mentioned (I could have missed them),or perhaps they use plain water to wash their coal? I doubt that. Clearly coal mining produces large amounts of toxic water waste. They should be made to store it in lined dams to prevent it leaching into aquifers as is happening at Mangoola .As a resident of NSW I have to pay to have my waste removed. Let Xstrata (and the other coal mines) PAY to have their toxic water removed & treated, or, install their own water treatment plants. I'm sick of them using our waterways as a dump.
* Green House Gasses : I cannot see how the Environment nor the Planning departments can permit any project with such huge GHG emissions ,given the climate records recently exceeded ,and the warnings from peak climate bodies. I object strongly to this extension further adding to the problem. Xstrata fail to explain that fugitive methane emissions increase in amounts with increasing depth. They failed to explain that coal will desorb methane for over two months.They failed to explain that fugitive GHG emissions occur for years after mine closure(ACARP C9063)

In view of the fact that my property is closely located to the washery, coal loading and rail loop with constant noise, dust and air quality concerns and the fact that the proximity of the mine and its operations will have a significant impact on the value of my property which is my retirement next egg. I feel that the mine and its operations will severly impact upon my lifetime of hardwork and legacy to my family

Please find our submission for Mangoola Mine.

Could you please confirm delivery of this submission.

Ian & Robyn Moore

In a time when science has a very good understanding that burning fossil fuel is becoming increasingly dangerous to all life. While Australia is the largest exporter of coal I imagine the world is growing in it's understanding that our country is becoming known as a rouge state that does not care about the greater good, but is caught up in short term economic gain which in other ways is already costing us greatly. You are our current community elders make healthy choices for the majority and not a focus on a few increasing their pockets. Expansion of this mine will only lock us in to our unhealthy dependency in fossil fuel further. I strongly oppose this mine and it's expansion.

Dear Sir / Madam,
We appreciate the opportunity to make a submission against the proposal
to expand the current operations at Mangoola Coal located in the Upper
Hunter Valley.

Our property is located directly opposite the Xstrata Mangoola Rail Loop
that joins in to the Ulan - Newcastle Rail Line. Our property has been
in the acquistion zone (Schedule 5) for Mangoola Coal from the onset
of exploration, project approval and subsequent mining operations.

We operate a very successful lucerne and cereal hay production business
and also finish prime vealer beef cattle on our highly productive Hunter
River property which is run in conjunction with a larger dryland farm
to the south of Denman. Our family has been involved in agriculture in
the Hunter region for over 60 years and we have a sound clientele base
and a succession planning investment that is currently being threatened
by the proposed modification on exhibition for Mangoola Coal.

Agriculture
Our family is committed to improving our property and management skills
to ensure that our farming enterprise is viable for the future.
Unfortunately the sheer size and scale of the encroaching mining
activities in the area have made it very difficult to secure long term
client contracts and to effectively produce family succession planning
tools that will prove relevant if the current proposal by Mangoola is
adopted by the DoP.

It was disappointing to note that in Figure 2.2 of Surrounding Major
Land Uses that our property was NOT identified as an agricultural
business, when much smaller operations were clearly identified.
Considering we derive our entire income on-farm it appears that it is of
little concern to the strategic planning of Mangoola.

ES4.8 Agriculture
The land surrounding Mangoola Coal "typically supports a mixture of
agricultural productions.... in addition Mangoola Coal retains a
sustainable agricultural offset area within its property boundaries."
It is unfortunate that this agricultural offset delivers very little
benefits to the local Upper Hunter agricultural community by way of
selling cattle locally, sourcing consumable products locally and employs
a fraction of the agricultural community that has been displaced due to
the mine operation. Mangoola purports to employ local businesses but
their financial input is a fraction of the historically parochial
support offered by former landholders.

Indeed, the surrounding area is steeped in agricultural history
involving vineyards, horse studs, dairies, beef production and other
enterprises that would all be sustainable forms of agriculture for many
years to come, unlike coal mining which is such a finite resource.

ES5
The proposed modification to Appendix 5 is a blatant contradiction to
the guarantee that affected landholders had been given under the
Project Approval. It is of little consolation that Xstrata Mangoola are 'offering' 12
months "grace" if the Modification is approved for 'former' Appendix 5
landholders to request acquistion in accordance with Schedule 3 of PA
06_0014.

Acquisition Rights
From July 2007 when Xstrata purchased the mine from Centennial Coal we
have been guaranteed that our property (132A & B) would have
acquisition rights for the entire life of the mine. We have developed a
clear and concise succession plan within our family, and are now
placed in a very complex situation that has been accelerated by 5-6
years and has nullified our succession and financial long term planning
goals. Personally we have spent considerable time, substantial funds
and immeasurable emotional turmoil to secure a viable future for our
children based on the foundations that we were unequivocally told would
last for the life of the mine.

We now are extremely surprised to find that 5 years into a 20 year mine
plan, the goal posts have changed and Xstrata Mangoola wish to remove
our family and property from the Acquisition Zone into a Noise
Management Zone, which would totally undermine the plans our family have
sought to foster and work towards with a clear objective goal for the
future. It is worth noting at this point that our children are 16 and
18 years of age, very passionate about agriculture and the future of the
Hunter Valley, and are very mindful of the mental anguish and
uncertainty that our family has endured for at least the past 6 years.

Consultation for Modification
Acquisition Rights
We would like to note that at NO STAGE during the F2F consultations,
until 3 days before the modification went on public display, were we
informed that we would be subject to a modification to our acquisition
rights. From what we believe, there are only a few landholders in a similar situation, hence it may have been pertinent
to have advised us of this situation well in advance of the modification
going on display. It is scarcely believeable that with an expansion to
mining activities that a property located so closely to mine
infrastructure could be somehow less affected than previously predicted.
Indeed in the 'worst case scenario' our property would exceed 35 Db in
all 4 maps. (Fig 8.1 to 8.4)

Number of Employees
It appeared to be apparent under further questioning in the F2F meetings that
although the modification sought approval to increase the workforce by
150 employees this would only be viable under full production and was
not indicitive of the actual increase in the number of employees that would be employed
if the modification were approved. We believe it is very misleading
that the modification purports to increase employment but is actually
only using the possible increase in operational employees to cover a
'best case scenario' that will 'sell' the benefits of the proposed
modification.

4.6 On-site Gravel production
On a positive note, the area that Mangoola Coal currently mines is home
to a very usable and formerly commercially attractive gravel source that
Mangoola wish to use on-site. Our only regret is that it is
unfortunate that the gravel is not available off-site for agricultural
purposes as it was historically. The more self sustainable the mine can
become must be a positive modification.

Hunter River Salinity Trading Scheme
It is of concern that introduction to the HRSTS was not considered
during earlier modifications to the pipeline supply from the Hunter
River. It appears that the water management operations are concerned of
possible problems in the future due to the lack of storage during
substantial weather events as discussed in 4.13.3 Option 3. There
should be NO RISK to downstream water sources, not merely a decreased
risk. Quote "... note that limitations with water storage during
certain climatic conditions are predicted to occur under current
operations." If the modification is denied it would appear that
regardless of extraction rate there would still pose a risk to
uncontrolled releases and pit inundation in severe weather events.

Our property is the first privately owned WAL site downstream of the proposed Mangoola Coal salinity discharge site. It is of grave concern that we are the first point of contact, with our business relying solely on
quality of water for irrigation of our prime alluvial lucerne river
flats. We are dubious about the extent of potential saline residues and ongoing water quality issues with the
proposed modification. Obviously the HRSTS will be monitored
closely for cumulative effects of mines upstream of Mangoola Coal if the
modification is approved. We have very little assurance of the
integrity of Xstrata Mangoola regarding water quality due to issues
raised in the past regarding water management following mine
construction.

11.3 Impact Assessment
It appears that if the Modification is approved, more water will be required short term at the CHPP, for haul roads dust suppression and changes to the Site water management system would need to occur. It is not
easily recogniseable what would eventuate if a drought situation becomes apparent
for an extended time. Feasibly one would imagine that any agricultural
water used by Colinta Holdings would be deemed unavailable and transferred to
mining activities, a situation not in keeping with the current and
historical land use for the area.

Water is a finite resource and a precious commodity. The Hunter Valley
is defined by the river, the lifeblood of the area. It is abhorrent
that the current operations in the valley are abusing the valuable
source of their productivity. We would strongly object to any further
changes to the water balance in the Hunter River and on-site, especially as we
are so close to the proposed discharge point.

ES4.5 Social Impacts & Opportunities
Whilst Mangoola Coal is visibly very generous in supporting the local
community, the long term repercussions of the community's reliance on
mining dollars is evident. It is increasingly difficult to find
volunteers for a myriad of organisations and a lack of social commitment
is obvious in the local area. The added pressure the increased
workforce puts on already strained infrastructure leads to a lessening
of quality service, and a 'watering down' of essential services
previously enjoyed by the community.

The obliteration of the rural social fabric of the society the mine area
encompasses has been replaced with a dedicated, affluent and perhaps
slightly socially irresponsible community that is enjoying short term
productivity. This is obviously a very subjective and morally
conflicting opinion but nonetheless very important for the surrounding
area and its future.

In closing, there are many areas that could be discussed at length,
however we have tried to refer to areas that are pertinent to our personal
situation. We have certainly endeavoured with our best efforts to maintain a
co-operative and healthy working relationship with our neighbours,
Colinta Holdings & Xstrata Mangoola, and have only lodged formal complaints
when absolutely necessary, however it appears that our collabarative
efforts are widely unrecognised as we are being dismissed as being not
affected as previously predicted. One would hesitate to even
contemplate how our dramatically our life has changed over the past 6
years, from a small vibrant community, rich in a myriad of
agricultural pursuits, to a constant drone of mining noise, constant blast effects from either noise or dust, our house
surrounds are now lit up like a city at night and we have an increased
multitude of trains rushing past our gate 24 hours a day. According to
this Modification we are not affected as much as predicted, and will be
affected even less by an increase in mining activity.

We would like to see a balance of mining and agriculture, and fair
compensation for those displaced by the effects of mining.
Please consider this modification carefully and the impacts of its
application on the area that we call home.

Many thanks,
Richard , Fiona, Lucy & Andrew Hordern

After scientists have informed us that we should not be taking any more fossil fuels from the earth I am perplexed at Mangoola Mine wanting to enlarge their mine in the Hunter Valley. They have a conscious obligation to people and the environment to stop this procedure. The use of salt and other chemical runoff will cause massive destruction to the Hunter River, farming land and nature reserves around it and in turn the fragile existence of fauna and flora of the area will be hugely impacted upon.The dust from this mine is already causing ill health within the local community and any further development will not only exacerbate health problems but will also subject people and the environs to a lower standard of living. Before they undergo such expansion they should take heed and consider the destruction it will have on people and the environs for centuries to come. This is not the way we should be going forward. I oppose any further enlargement of the Mangoola Mine.

Dear Sir/Madam,

We wish to object to Mangoola Mine,Modification 6,Extraction rate increase on the basis that a further increase in noise and dust levels is a further risk to our business of breeding and raising thoroughbred racehorses.

Yours sincerely,
Kieran Falvey.

I object to this expansion of extraction rates on the grounds of the increasing danger of climate change. 97% of scientists agree that this is being caused by the increase of carbon in the atmosphere from activities such as burning fossil fuels. Australia must take a stance and begin to stop mining coal for both energy use domestically and for export. This begins by slowing production of mines, not increasing. The consequences of increasing fossil fuel use, which will be aided by increasing the extraction rate of Mangoola Mine, are catastrophic on an economic, environmental and humanitarian level.

We object to the criteria used to map the areas of noise and dust affected properties where Xstrata Coal is proposing to use supposed factual data to reduce their affected zones. The claims that these areas will cause less noise and dust impact are based on areas where noise and dust monitoring is not currently being undertaken. Our property is in close proximity to the current mining operations, it is affected by noise and dust and we are currently within the acquisition area of Mangoola Coal and we object to being removed from this acquisition zone to the management zone. We believe this impact of their mining operations will only increase with the increase of production and not be reduced We are not aware of any monitoring sites close to our property that they can use as a basis to reduce the impact.

Any proposal to increase extraction rates should be subject to wider public scrutiny and hearings.

See submission attached

Please find attached my objection.

objection attached

The dust is black and sticks to everything

Objection

please see attached document

See attached.

Submission in Objection attached.