Blasting just 500 metres from peoples homes is a risky business. Coalpac also propose to blast within 50 metres of cliffs and pagodas, and 130 - 190 metres from Aboriginal rock shelters. Many Cullen Bullen residents have already complained of cracked walls, driveways and other structures, but have said that Coalpac’s consultants routinely blame the damage on poor workmanship, sub-soil shrinkage due to drought, or in one instance shrinkage of timber framework in the home - when it was in fact a steel-framed house! As well as the risks to peoples lives, homes, and infrastructure, there are health risks associated with toxic Nitrate fumes and huge dust plumes. Coalpac’s EA states that they will limit blasting to 20 blasts per month, but qualify this by saying: ‘except for those areas closest to receivers and sensitive structures, where a greater number of smaller blasts up to 40 blast events per week or 10 events per day may be required for limited time periods’!!! The PAC found that the potential impact of multiple blasts on residents was too great, and recommended that the number of blasts should not exceed one per day. Lithgow Council recommended that blasting should not occur within 500 metres of the Cemetery, seemingly caring more for the dead than the living. Coalpac refuted this and argued they could blast up to 178 metres from the Cemetery without causing damage. Protect the people of Cullen Bullen, Aboriginal rock shelters, and pagodas.........So no to the Coalpac project.
Posted on: Mon, 16 Sep 2013 07:56:20 +0000
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