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Powergeneration&healthUnderstandingtheproblem

AgreeingonsolutionsPlanningcooperativeaction

Tonight’sdiscussion• Toxicpollutionandhealthimpacts• Airpollutionmonitoringandaccess todatainyour

community• EmissionsfromGladstonepowerstation• Powerstationlicencing andcompliance• Airpollutionandyourlegalrights• Coalash• Incineratingwaste• Renewableenergyopportunitiesandtransitionplanning• Takeaction

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• TheQld DepartmentofEnvironmentandHeritageProtectionoperates6airpollutionmonitoringstationsinGladstone.

• Fineparticlepollution(PM2.5)concentrationsrecordedatthesesitesisgenerallybelowthenationalstandard(25ug/m3 averagedover24hours).

• Concentrationsashighas122ug/m3 havebeenrecordedduringrecentmonths(BoatCreek2/11/17).On29/9/17,fourofGladstone’smonitoringstationsrecordedPM2.5 concentrationsoverthenationalstandard.*

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2014-15 2015-16 2016-17

Ammonia (total) 866 839 799

Arsenic&compounds 16 9 10

Beryllium&compounds 2 1 1

Boron&compounds 10,201 74,304 81,305

Cadmium&compounds 6 4 3

Carbonmonoxide 781,130 754,400 718,110

Chlorine &compounds 8 20 15

Chromium(II I)compounds 107 74 82

Chromium(VI)compounds 3 2 2

Cobalt&compounds 2 1 1

Copper&compounds 40 21 22

Cumene (1-methylethylbenzene) 11 11 11

Fluoridecompounds 232,014 225,011 214,017

Hydrochloricacid 637,000 617,000 588,000

Lead&compounds 28 32 30

Manganese&compounds 603 455 274

Mercury&compounds 85 72 58

Nickel&compounds 113 77 86

OxidesofNitrogen 27,908,780 30,001,040 28,800,845

ParticulateMatter10.0um 234,100 146,800 150,200

ParticulateMatter2.5um 88,033 49,664 48,452

Sulfurdioxide 21,500,010 22,800,004 24,400,003

Sulfuricacid 227,000 240,000 257,000

TotalVolatile OrganicCompounds 93,940 90,329 85,990Xylenes (individual ormixedisomers) 60 59 56

Zincandcompounds 128 88 87

Total 51,714,286 55,000,316 55,345,458

Fineparticlepollution(PM2.5)bysource(NPI2016-17)

BoyneSmeltersLtd,360,000,55%

RioTintoAluminiumYarwun,65,198,10%

QueenslandAluminaLtd,54,080,8%

GladstonePowerStation,48,452,8%

CurtisIslandLNGPlant,47,348,7%

GladstonePortsCorporation- (water

transport), 44,520,7%

CurtisIslandGLNGPlant,30,489,5%

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OxidesofNitrogen(NOx)bysource(NPI2016-17)

GladstonePowerStation,28,800,845,60%

QAL, 7,367,200,15%

CurtisIslandGLNGPlant, 4,960,629,10%

FishermansLanding,3,162,760,7%

RTAYarwunPtyLtd,2,456,821,5%

APLNGFacility- CurtisIsland, 1,120,438,2%

BSL,577,000,

1%

Sulfurdioxide(SO2)bysource(NPI2016-17)

GladstonePowerStation,24,400,003,

55%

BoyneSmelters,12,550,300,28%

QueenslandAluminaLtd, 4,830,071,11%

RioTintoAluminiumYarwun, 2,555,710,6%

NorthernOilRefinery,101,061,0%

APLNGFacility- CurtisIsland, 57,401,0%

CurtisIslandLNGPlant,14,801,0%

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Healthimpacts

• Fineparticlepollution(PM2.5)causesprematuredeath• Sulfurdioxidecontributestoasthma, infantbirthweight,

cardiovascularandrepiratory illness,hospitaladmissions• Oxidesofnitrogeneffectlungfunction,asthmaand

allergiesevenatlowlevels• Mercury hastoxiceffectsonthenervous,digestiveand

immunesystems,andonlungs,kidneys,skinandeyes• Coalashcontainsarsenic, lead,mercury,cadmium,

chromiumandothertoxicpollutants.

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Reducingemissions– someoptions

• Fabricfilters(baghouses) toreducePM2.5

• Fluegasdesulfurisation andlowsulfur coaltoreduceSO2

• SelectiveCatalyticReductiontoreduceNOxemissions

• Coalwashingtoreducemercuryemissions• Ultrasupercritical powerstations• Electrostaticprecipitators• Plannedretirement,transitiontorenewables

“SelectiveCatalyticReduction(SCR)isthemosteffectiveNOxcontroltechnologyandisthe

dominantpost-combustionNOxcontrolmethodpresentlyinuse.”

AGLLiddellNOxReductionreport,2017

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Legalframework-Qld

Regulatingpowerstationemissions• DepartmentofEnvironmentandScience

–"Ourjob istosupportindustry growthandensuretheprosperityofQueensland’s environment."

• EnvironmentalProtectionAct• Environmentalauthorities

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EnvironmentalProtectionAct1994EnvironmentalProtectionAct

• ChiefpollutionlegislationinQLD• Imposesgeneraldutynottocauseenvironmentalharm–

section319» 'anyadverseeffect(whethertemporaryorpermanentandof

whatevermagnitude,durationorfrequency)onan environmental valueand includes anenvironmentalnuisance'

• Dutytonotifyenvironmentalharm• Mustnotwilfullyandunlawfullycauseseriousormaterial

environmentalharm• Mustnotwilfullyandunlawfullycauseanenvironmental

nuisance– unreasonable/likelyinterferencewithanenvironmentalvalue

Powerstationoperationsarenotifiableactivities soneedan environmental authority

Environmentalauthorities• Chapter5 EPAct1994• Imposes conditions foroperation• Mustbecompliedwith• "licences topollute"- imposes limits forairpollution,waterdischarges,landcontamination,ashmanagement

• GladstonePowerStationAgreementAct1993 imposes additionalobligations

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GladstonePowerStationpollution licenceconditions[EPPR00973013]

• A1:Thereleaseofnoxiousoroffensiveodours oranyothernoxiousoroffensiveairbornecontaminantsfromtheactivitymustnotcauseanuisanceatanyodour sensitiveplace

• A6:Solidparticlesmustnotbereleasedfromthedryashsystemdustcollector(s)inexcessofaconcentrationthatwouldcausevisibleairemissions

• N1:Noisefromactivitiesmustnotcauseanenvironmentalnuisanceatanynoise-affectedpremises

• L1:Contaminantsmustnotbereleasedtoland

WhatisunusualabouttheGladstonePowerStationpollutionlicence?

• NoSO2 ormercurystackemissionlimit• Nocontinuousmonitoring requirementinEA• ExtraordinarilyhighlimitfortheallowableNOxconcentration

emittedfromstacks• A3:Coarseparticlepollution (PM10)standardof150ug/m3 is

threetimesthenationalstandard• NolicencelimitforfineparticlepollutionPM2.5

• W9:Usedionexchangeresin,useddiatomaceousearthoilabsorbentandspentdemineralisations plantcarbongranules,usedoilfiltercartridges,silicagelandoilyragsmaybeburntintheboilerfurnaces.

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Coalash• EAandGPSAAct imposeconditions forash

management• AshManagementAgreement– currently

subjecttoRTIrequest• Nofinancialassurancesimposed:

– Thecostsassociatedwithpost-closuremanagementwillbebornebytheoperator,andnoliabilityremoveduntilauthorised bythedepartment.

• Councilreclamationofoneofthesites,moreinfuture

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Yourlegalrights• DESshouldbechiefenvironmentalregulator• CivilenforcementoptionsunderEPAct

– AnypersoncanseekorderinPlanning andEnvironmentCourttoremedyorrestrainabreachoftheAct,EAcondition breach,activitywithoutapproval

– Easierprocessifyourinterestsareaffectedbytheoffence,e.g.healthimpactsfromairpollution

– Whereinterestsarenotaffected,needleavefromthePlanningandEnvironmentCourttoobtainstanding

• EDOQueenslandfactsheet

Wasteincineration

• Feedstockconsistency• AirqualityandEUStandards• Whatdoesn'tgoupdefinitelygoesdown

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OpportunitiesandTransition

Matt RoseEconomics Program Manager and Economis t

"we have to factor in a carbon-constrained future"

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CoalClosingName State Year

Closed Capacity

Collinsville QLD 2012 190MW

Munmorah NSW 2012 1400MW

SwanbankB QLD 2012 480MW

Wallerawang NSW 2014 1000MW

EnergyBrix VIC 2014 170MW

Redbank NSW 2014 151MW

Kwinana WA 2014 240MW

Playford SA 2015 240MW

Anglesea VIC 2015 150MW

CallideA QLD 2015 520MW

Northern SA 2016 120MW

Hazelwood VIC 2017 1600MW

MujaAB WA 2018 240MW

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22SolarPlants 12WindFarms

0CoalFiredPowerStations

5,769MW

UnderConstructionend2017

By2037underabusinessasusualscenario

to

to

in

Coal– 68%

Renewables– 24%

Renewablesovertakecoal

22%ofNEM

72%ofNEM

2032

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“You can resist change as much as you like, but the reality is, if you’re in a community that has a coal-fired power station, its days are numbered.”

• Plan ahead • Support Communities • Clean up the mess

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Renewable Energy Zone.• Aldoga SolarFarm• Rodds BaySolarFarm• RaglanSolarFarm• 100sitesforpumpedhydro

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“My advice is: learn from the Port Augusta experience. I wish the federal government would.”

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Takeaction

• Reportairpollution incidents1300 130 372(DEHP)• Communicatepollution concernsandcomplaintstoNRG0749765211

• ReadGladstonePowerStation’spermit• Subscribe forEJA’sfortnightlyemailupdates• LikeourFacebookpage• Organiseatalkonairpollution controlwithyourgroupororganisation

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