Abstract
Disposal of coal mine wastewater to the headwaters of a high conservation value waterway caused water pollution and ecological degradation of a World Heritage listed upland river. Below the mine, macroinvertebrate family richness decreased by 65% and abundance by 90%. Upstream of the waste discharge had very low electrical conductivity (EC) of 30 ?S/cm and pH was acidic (5.6) in contrast to that below the mine which showed EC 11 times higher (342 ?S/cm) and a shift in pH to 7.2. The concentration of zinc below the mine was 101.5 ?g/L and while below the permitted discharge level of 2500 ?g/L as set in the environmental protection license (EPL), was 10 times greater than the recommended ANZECC guidelines for aquatic ecosystems. Nickel is not regulated under the mine EPL yet a concentration of more than double the recommended guideline was reported. The mine discharge also increased water temperature in the Wollangambe River by more than 2.5°C. The data clearly points to a need to review both the operation of the mine and the enabling regulatory system that currently allows pollution of zinc 200 times greater than recommended by the ANZECC guideline and generally does not adequately consider the impacts of the mine on the downstream National Park and World Heritage listed waterways.
| Original language | English |
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| Title of host publication | Proceedings of the 7th Australian Stream Management Conference |
| Editors | Geoff Vietz, Ian Rutherfurd, Rhiannon Hughes |
| Place of Publication | Melbourne |
| Publisher | University of Melbourne |
| Pages | 285-291 |
| Number of pages | 7 |
| ISBN (Print) | 9780734050380 |
| Publication status | Published - 2014 |
| Event | Australian Stream Management Conference (7th : 2014) - Townsville, QLD Duration: 27 Jul 2014 → 30 Jul 2014 |
Conference
| Conference | Australian Stream Management Conference (7th : 2014) |
|---|---|
| City | Townsville, QLD |
| Period | 27/07/14 → 30/07/14 |