THE legally binding pollution reduction program can’t come quick enough. This newspaper has been reporting for years about the need for improved dust control, especially now when there are so many mines and such massive areas of exposed land.
The report identifies that many mines already use best practice measures and when there are exceedances, they move mining further within the pit.
Anecdotal evidence suggests that this may not be effective and literature suggests that pit retention of dust may be as little as five per cent or less.
The air quality monitors are in place that show there is a problem. The state government has finally stepped up and introduced rules that hopefully will minimise particulate matter in our air. It is obvious dust won’t be completely prevented but one report suggested a 45 per cent reduction in particulate matter just through improved rehabilitation.
Now, there is just that little question over the dust’s composition that remains to be answered.
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