Metropolitan Coal Project Independent ... - Peabody Energy

METROPOLITAN COAL PROJECT INDEPENDENT ENVIRONMENTAL AUDIT
4.11 Noise 4
[Project Approval Schedule 4 conditions 1 to 6, and 8]
4.11.1 Noise Management Plan
[Project Approval Schedule 4 condition 8]
A Noise Management Plan was prepared to satisfy Project Approval Schedule 4 condition 8 and
submitted to the DoP on 26 August 2010. The Plan was approved on 14 April 2011.
4.11.2 Noise Impact Assessment Criteria
[Project Approval Schedule 5 "Additional Procedures for Air Quality and Noise Management"
Condition 1 to 3]
The Project Approval Schedule 4 conditions to 1 to 3 require Metropolitan Coal to meet the noise
assessment criteria specified in Project Approval Table 2 in relation to property acquisition, by the end
of 2014. Notwithstanding the timing for applicability of the noise limits the Noise Management Plan
was reviewed to assess the Metropolitan Coal procedures that show a future process to inform any
property owners of any exceedances of the noise limit.
As such, it is acknowledged that the noise levels in the local area may currently exceed the levels
presented in Project Approval Schedule 4 condition 1 Table 2. Notwithstanding the applicability of the
noise limits by the end of 2014, the Metropolitan Coal Noise Management plan presents three
performance indicators for the planning for the future noise limits, namely:
Establishment of quarterly operational attended noise monitoring and a real time monitoring
system;
Design of the major surface facilities fixed plant upgrades is to be undertaken cognisant of the
material noise reductions at the site that will be required to meet the noise criteria in the
Approval at the end of 2014;
Undertake noise modelling of the preferred upgrade design prior to construction of major
surface fixed plant components to determine if sufficient noise reduction is likely to be
achieved from the fixed plant and mobile plant upgrades.
Conclusion:
Metropolitan Coal is currently meeting its obligations under Project Approval Schedule 5 "Additional
Procedures for Air Quality and Noise Management" Condition 1.
4.11.2 Noise Monitoring
Metropolitan Coal Mine has one Sentinex self-contained, free standing noise recording/monitoring unit
that provides continuous monitoring of environmental noise levels.
This Sentinex real-time noise monitor uses a continuous recording unattended statistical noise logger
that provides:
Records of 15 minute statistical noise data.
Continuous records of real-time audio (MP3 or wav) files.
Daily reports, including:
– 15 minute statistical data (LA 10 , LA 90 );
– LAeq (15 minute) and LAeq (period) noise levels;
4 John Wasserman – Wilkinson Murray
28 trevor brown & associates
applied environmental management consultants
aemc