MOUNT Isa Mines says it has decreased peak levels of sulphur dioxide emissions despite Department of Environment and Heritage Protection statistics showing the city's residents continue to put up with emissions three times the national standard.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
A spokesperson for the miner said sulfur dioxide emissions meet current Queensland Government regulations in compliance with the Transitional Environmental Program.
``As part of our TEP we are continuing to implement a variety of air quality management initiatives to decrease sulfur dioxide levels to achieve compliance with our EA conditions by the end of 2016,'' the spokesperon said.
But with six breaches this month, and 31 exceedences of the air quality objective as set out by the Queensland Government recorded this year, there has been little improvement on the 43 breaches of state government's standards recorded last year.
With residents reporting health problems including sore eyes and irritated throats while outdoors, the Queensland Health and Xstrata Mount Isa Mines have previously issued recommendations that residents limit physical activity, keep doors and windows closed and seek medical assistance when conditions were bad.
A Mount Isa Mines spokesperson said nine fume-related complaints had been received to their Community Feedback Hotline between July 1 and September 23 this year.
``When a complaint is received, we immediately contact Air Quality Control . We often find that AQC has already taken action to minimise the impact of emissions and is monitoring the situation closely,'' the spokesperson said.
The state government monitors Mount Isa's sulphur emissions at two locations, Menzies and The Gap, and the current one-hour standard for sulphur dioxide emissions is 0.20 parts per million and the allowed exceedences for this limit are one per year.
Air quality measurements at Menzies have recorded 19 exceedances of 0.20ppm, some levels reaching 0.60 three times the national standard.
Department of Environment and Heritage Protection executive director Rob Lawrence last year said he was aware of the breaches, and said mining companies had been given until 2016 to meet the national standard.
Mount Isa Mines also has 10 air-monitoring stations it controls around the city.
The spokesperson said they were working to ensure standards were met by 2016.
``We have seen our peak levels decrease overall, when compared with 2011 and 2012 [also noting weather conditions change from year to year],'' the spokesperson said.
``Part of our strategy has included decreasing AQC's response limits.''