SINGLETON compliance officers have been following through with complaints with a local mine fined $3000 for a noise exceedence and another mine issued with a warning letter to improve dust control.
The department was notified by Ravensworth East pit at Mt Owen complex on March 11 of a noise exceedence. Compliance officers’ investigation into the blast found it recorded 129.9dBL and exceeded the 120dBL noise limit at three blast monitors at Camberwell village, Camberwell Church and the Green Acres property.
The mine’s consent allows five per cent of blasts to exceed 115dBL, but none are permitted to exceed 120dBL.
The mine operator had previously been advised to check blast designs after a separate ground vibration incident in December.
Compliance officers also investigated a fume from a blast at Hunter Valley Operations coal mine on March 15.
The Singleton office received five complaints and compliance officers visited the site the next day.
The department found the rain had wet the explosives and the blast was fired to avoid additional fume.
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