During February – June 2019 we deployed 3 air quality monitoring stations to monitor effects on air quality due to an underground fire incident at Kooragang Island. The air pollution incident monitoring was conducted at the request of Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) and NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA).
Two monitoring stations (designed as emergency pods) were deployed in North and South Kooragang to record near-source emissions. To measure general community exposures, a third air quality monitoring station was installed at Warabrook, 1.4 km southwest of the incident site, at the boundary with Mayfield West.
All 3 stations measured carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), ozone (O3), sulfur dioxide (SO2) and airborne particulate matter, PM10 (particles less than 10 µm in diameter) and PM2.5 (particles less than 2.5µm in diameter); hydrogen sulfide (H2S) was also monitored at the community station Warabrook.
Data was published online in near real-time for public access. Readings showed spikes at the onsite stations, coincident with winds from the incident site. There was no recorded exceedance for any of the measured parameters, compared against the Safe Work Australia’s standards for Short Term Exposure Limits. However, all stations recorded larger air pollution events i.e. dust storms and hazard reduction burns.
The emergency pods deployed in North and South Kooragang to record near-source emissions were decommissioned on 20 April, when FRNSW reported to OEH/EPA that the fire had been extinguished and the operation to contain the incident accomplished.
Warabrook remained active until 20 June 2019.
Station |
Type |
Coordinates
(latitude and longitude)
|
Period deployed
|
North Kooragang |
On-site |
32° 51' 53" S
51° 44' 5" E
|
21 February to 20 April 2019
|
South Kooragang |
On-site |
32° 52' 14" S
151° 43' 49" E
|
21 February to 20 April 2019 |
Warabrook |
Community |
32° 52' 45" S
151° 43' 11" E
|
18 March to 12 June 2019 |