Environmental Evaluation and fouling investigation of fugitive coal emissions from trains in Central Queensland

In 2007, the Queensland Environmental Protection Authority requested QR Limited to conduct an Environmental Evaluation of fugitive emissions of coal dust from trains travelling from mines to ports (or coal consumers) on the Moura, Blackwater and Goonyella coal transport systems. QR Limited appointed Katestone Environmental, Connell Hatch, John Planner of Introspec Consulting to prepare an Environmental Evaluation.

The Environmental Evaluation required QR Limited to:

• Identify all potential sources of coal dust emissions from QR trains
• Quantify the potential risk of environmental harm posed by each dust source
• Identify the factors and circumstances that contribute to dust emissions and/or impacts from each source.
• Identify locations where proximity of railway lines to communities may give rise to higher risk of environmental harm due to fugitive coal dust.
• Identify ways to reduce the risk being caused by coal dust emissions and assess each for practicability, effectiveness and cost, in relation to the mitigation of environmental impacts of fugitive coal dust emissions.

“The quantification and assessment of the potential for coal dust to escape from wagons and the rail corridor and to adversely affect residents and land uses adjacent to the rail corridor is complex.”

Coal mining is Queensland’s largest export industry with export sales in 2006/07 totalling about $15.5 billion. Total exports for the twelve months to March 2007 totalled 150.41 million tonnes and domestic use totalled approximately 27.2 million tonnes. Coal transport on the Goonyella, Blackwater and Moura Systems represents about 97% percent of total Queensland exports and domestic use of Queensland coals.

The quantification and assessment of the potential for coal dust to escape from wagons and the rail corridor and to adversely affect residents and land uses adjacent to the rail corridor is complex. The Environmental Evaluation was required to be completed in a very short timeframe and, as a consequence, the study team instigated a number of approaches to investigate the issue and to develop workable solutions. The Queensland EPA was fully informed of the proposed study methodology at the beginning of the project.

The extensive study program was completed within the tight time constraints specified by the Queensland EPA and included:

• Literature review and inspections of representative infrastructure. Consideration of dust complaints.
• Monitoring of ambient dust levels in close proximity to the tracks at two locations on each of the Moura, Blackwater and Goonyella Systems and correlation with meteorological conditions and train movements.
• Monitoring ambient dust levels at residential locations along the tracks.
• Collation and analysis of ambient monitoring data that has been previously collected by QR Limited and others.
• Collation and analysis of available data relating to coal dustiness and wind tunnel testing.
• Dispersion modelling of dust emissions to estimate dust levels away from the tracks due to coal trains.
• Identification of locations that are at risk of impact due to dust from coal trains Assessment of potential dust control measures and cost/benefit analysis.