natural goodness getting close to nature naturally anglesea environment report JULY 2006 Inside the ‘Best Practice’ Environment Report: Air Emissions Water Monitoring Encountering wildlife without feeding Animals of the Anglesea Heath: Eastern Spinebill Updates on Rainfall, Town Water Use and Greenhouse Gas Emissions Environmental improvement - progress towards 2006 targets Plus we talk to an employee about their contribution to improving the environment ANGLESEA ENVIRONMENT REPOR T JULY 2006 REPORT air Air Monitoring Stack Monitors Average Maximum Opacity g/m3 10-minute average 0.056 0.197 Stack SO2 kg/min 1-hour average Licence limit 111.34kg/min 76.82 89.81 Ambient Monitors SO2 1 hour ppb Average Maximum Community Centre 3 27 Primary School 4 200 Mt Ingoldsby - - Scout Camp 8 200 Camp Wilkin 1 119 Camp Road 7 176 Ambient Monitors SO2 Maximum 1 hour averages (ppb) Date 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 Community Centre 10 2 2 10 1 1 1 0 1 27 1 2 0 1 1 1 0 1 1 2 3 3 2 2 2 1 2 12 22 15 2 Primary School 3 3 1 5 9 1 1 1 200172 1 1 1 2 1 1 1 0 0 4 4 3 2 1 1 1 0 65 49 66 1 Mt Ingoldsby - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Scout Camp 3 3 4 4 151 54 57 109 5 4 200 4 2 4 6 2 2 2 2 6 5 11 19 3 3 4 60 4 96 83 95 Camp Wilkin 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 1 2 2 1 1 1 1 4 29 34 2 2 1 0 1 2 2 176 3 3 13 96 4 3 2 164151 32 3 2 3 2 0 1 1 2 5 5 28 3 2 0 7 6 21 150 3 Camp Road EPA Intervention Level 210 Alcoa Local Standard 170 1 - - - 1 119 1 4 - - 0 16 1 ANGLESEA ENVIRONMENT REPOR T JULY 2006 REPORT water Water Storage Barwon Water storage levels within the Geelong system at 28.9% capacity. Stage 1 restrictions apply. Water Discharge ML July Total Ashponds (SP1) 153 1008 Mine (SP4) 0 0.8 Water Monitoring SP1 SP4 SP3 25/07/2006 Ashpond Mine Final EPA limit Lab Result EPA limit Lab Result EPA limit Lab Result pH 4-10 8.5 3-9 - 5-9 7.5 Susp. Solids 100 4 100 - 30 <2 Colour 50 4 50 - 50 4 Aluminium 10 0.3 10 - 5.5 < 0.1 Iron 10 0.6 0 - 4.0 < 0.1 Zinc 0.4 < 0.1 2.0 - 0.3 < 0.1 WATER WATER USAGE PER MONTH (ML) Date JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUNE JULY AUG Town Water 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.5 1.6 0.8 1.0 7.9 Bore Water 279 243 285 237 210 218 238 1710 Mine Water 81 82 81 92 106 88 93 623 SEPT OCT NOV DEC TOTAL 300.0 3000 250.0 2500 200.0 2000 150.0 1500 100.0 1000 50.0 0.0 500 0 ANGLESEA ENVIRONMENT REPOR T JULY 2006 REPORT encountering wildlife without feeding Many people enjoy feeding wildlife because it allows a close interaction with nature. Often, they think they are also helping the animals to survive. But is it a good idea? The consensus is.. not really. While feeding the animals can be fun for humans, it is usually detrimental for the animals, and will be of more harm than help. There are few, if any, benefits for Australian wildlife in being fed. Our mild climate and the mobile nature and adaptations of many of our species means that they can obtain all the natural food they need. The arguments against feeding wildlife include: > diseases are easily passed on at feeding stations; > less dominant wildlife is forced away from the areas around feeding stations and more dominant species (eg kookaburras and butcherbirds) get an unnatural advantage; > animals that become used to being fed might lose their fear of people. This puts them at risk around people who don’t appreciate wildlife; and > predators, especially cats and dogs, target wildlife while they are feeding. An alternative to feeding is to develop an area that reflects the natural environment, providing opportunities for local wildlife to forage for their own food, yet still be observed at close range. The planting around the mine lunch room area is a perfect example of creating such an area. The garden will benefit local bird species with prickly shrubs providing shelter from predators and flowering shrubs to provide nectar for small birds whilst allowing employees to enjoy the sight and sounds of local birds. A shalllow source of water for birds away from vegetation that could conceal predators is an added bonus. Indigenous plants have been used in the garden as local wildlife is attracted to local plants and the indigenous plant’s adaptation to the soil type, season, climate and pests in the area means they require less management during establishment and supplementary watering is usually not necessary. Remember, wildlife in your area has survived because there is available food, water, and shelter to meet their needs but providing additional habitat is a solution that pleases everyone. ANIMALS OF THE ANGLESEA HEATH Eastern Spinebill (Acanthorhynchus tenuirostris) Acanthorhynchus tenuirostris Size: Male: Female: Voice: Distribution Habitat: Food: 16cm grey-black crown which extends on either side of the breast, breast and throat are white with a rufous patch in the centre of the throat, wings and lower back are dark grey, underparts and upper back are buff similar to males but less distinct staccato piping, softer ‘chee-chee-chee...’ generally found east of the Great Dividing Range from Cooktown in Queensland to the Flinders Ranges in South Australia common to uncommon resident in forest, woodlands, gardens, thickets and heaths feed on insects and nectar, it’s beak is particularly well suited to extracting nectar from tubular flowers such as epacrids including Epacris impressa (Pink Heath) EASTERN SPINEBILL ANGLESEA ENVIRONMENT REPOR T JULY 2006 REPORT LAND RAINFALL (mm) Month JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUNE JULY AUG 2006 Rainfall 46.2 19.6 7.3 37.1 129.4 17.0 40.6 297.2 1968-2005 Average 44.6 43.9 42.5 53.5 59.3 60.8 60.8 365.7 SEPT OCT NOV DEC TOTAL 7 0 0 .0 0 100 90 6 0 0 .0 0 80 5 0 0 .0 0 70 60 4 0 0 .0 0 50 3 0 0 .0 0 40 30 2 0 0 .0 0 20 1 0 0 .0 0 10 0 0 .0 0 WATER TOWN WATER USE (ML) 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC Process 23.9 14.6 13.1 16.7 15.0 13.5 5 . 4 0.7 0.7 0.8 1.1 0.9 0.6 0.6 1 .8 Amenity 11.6 6.6 2 . 5 0.3 0.3 0.2 0.4 0.7 0.2 0.4 6.6 5.0 4.0 2.6 4 0 .0 1 .6 3 5 .0 1 .4 3 0 .0 1 .2 2 5 .0 1 .0 2 0 .0 0 .8 1 5 .0 0 .6 1 0 .0 0 .4 5 .0 0 .2 0 .0 0 .0 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 JA N F E B M A R A P R M A Y JUN JU L A U G S E P O C T NO V D E C AIR GREENHOUSE GAS (GHG) TOTAL (Mt) & GHG EMISSION EFFICENCY (t/MWh) 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 1.42 1.62 1.56 1.45 1.34 1.25 1.20 1.38 1.42 1.53 1.23 1.27 1.50 1.45 1.47 1.31 1 . 4 9 GHG Mt GHG t/MWh 1.34 1.35 1.33 1.32 1.31 1.33 1.38 1.34 1.30 1.30 1.24 1.19 1.21 1.21 1.20 1.21 1 . 1 9 2 1600000 1 .8 1400000 1 .6 1 .4 1 .2 1200000 1000000 1 800000 0 .8 600000 0 .6 400000 0 .4 200000 0 .2 0 0 ANGLESEA ENVIRONMENT REPOR T JULY 2006 REPORT environmental improvement Environmental Management Targets July 2006 Total Forecast 2006 Target Reportable Environmental Incidents 0 0 0 0 Monthly EHS ASAT Audit Completion (%) 50 93 93 90 Air Emission Targets July 2006 Total Forecast 2006 Target Ambient SO2 ( no. readings > 210ppb) 0 2 3 0 Stack SO2 (no. hrs > 100kg/min) 0 0 0 0 SO2 Load Reductions 17 65 111 N/A 1.18 1.19 1.19 1.20 Opacity (10 min av > 0.25g/m normal operation) 0 0 0 0 Water Targets July 2006 Total Forecast 2006 Target Town Water (ML) 1.0 7.9 13.5 17.2 Bore Water (ML) 238 1710 2931 2440 Waste Targets July 2006 Total Forecast 2006 Target Waste to Landfill (t) 0.0 2.7 4.6 10.0 Solid Prescribed Waste to Landfill (t) 0.0 0.0 0.0 0 GHG Efficiency (t CO2 e/MWh) 3 Mine Rehabilitation Targets 2006 Total 2006 Target 2006 Area Cleared (ha) 3.3 3.3 2006 Area Rehabilitated (ha) 7.5 > 3.3 2005 Mine Rehabilitation Species Richness (%) N/A 100 OUR ENVIRONMENT AND OUR EMPLOYEES.. Richard, there were a couple of minor environmental issues in the mine during July July.. What happened? There was three environmental incidents that occurred over the weekend of July 22 and 23. The first issue was a ruptured hose on a hired excavator while carrying out road maintenance on the coal haul road. A mist of oil sprayed onto the haul road at the bridge over Marshy Creek. The second was a fuel oil spill at the mine fuel bowser. The equipment was on hire and it’s fitting to the bowser hose was faulty so the automatic fuel shut off failed. And finally, a water pipe at the rear of the mine workshop burst and flooded the carpark and sewerage pit. Were the issues easily resolved? Yes. The fuel oil on the coal haul road was soaked up into sand and all contaminated material was placed into the landfarm. The fuel oil spill at the bowser was contained within the bund so the machinery just needed a wipe down. The flooded sewerage pit contained treated effluent from the septic system so there was no spill of seweage material. The water was pumped out and the pipe repaired. Environmental incidents were raised for all issues on the day of occurance and all actions were completed within three days including the pipe repair. ...RICHARD MACHAR