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Mining and minerals processing operations can generate noise from a range of activities including transport, draglines, blasting, conveyors, crushing, screening and process plants. Noise impacts need to be managed carefully, particularly where mines operate in close proximity to other landholders and local communities.
Mine sites are tightly regulated for noise levels against standards adopted by the Office of Environment & Heritage and outlined in their Industrial Noise Policy.
Mine sites have comprehensive noise management plans to monitor and manage overall noise levels. These plans are implemented to mitigate and manage noise generation. Noise emissions are managed through a combination of mine planning, plant and equipment design and selection, housing crushing and processing plant within buildings, enclosing conveyor systems, using terrain to acoustically shield the operations and operational procedures such as speed limits on roads around site. Weather monitoring systems can also assist in the ongoing management of noise generation in times of noise enhancing weather conditions.
Blasting is used extensively in the NSW minerals industry to fracture rock, allowing mining to take place. The two main impacts from blasting, apart from noise and dust, are overpressure and ground vibration.
The NSW Government has introduced policies and regulations to regulate blasting impacts on the community. The former Australian and New Zealand Environment and Conservation Council produced a publication Technical basis for guidelines to minimise annoyance due to blasting overpressure and ground vibration that provides guidelines on minimisation. Extensive monitoring of every blast is required with regularly reporting to government also required.
Comprehensive Blast Management Plans outline management and monitoring methods to be used to minimise blasting impacts. These methods include restricted timing of blasts (typically between hours of 9am-5pm), design of blast including directions and detonation design, avoiding blasting during adverse weather conditions that will enhance overpressure and vibration impacts, orientation of the blast face and designing the detonation sequence with delays between holes so that the blast waves from individual holes do not arrive simultaneously at a residence.
Relevant Documents
Fact Sheet – Environmental Noise and the NSW Minerals Industry
Fact Sheet – Blasting and the NSW Minerals Industry
External Links
Office of Environment & Heritage - Noise Policy
Office of Environment & Heritage - Blasting Policy
Australian Government - Leading Practice Sustainable Developement Program for the Mining Industry - Airborne Contaminants, Noise and Vibration Handbook
Australian and New Zealand Environment and Conservation Council - Technical basis for guidelines to minimise annoyance due to blasting overpressure and ground vibration
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