While the evidence indicates coal train dust emissions don’t have a significant impact on air quality, the industry has implemented several initiatives to improve coal train dust management.
As part of the Hunter Valley coal industry’s ongoing efforts to improve its environmental performance, operators throughout the coal chain have worked together to better understand the impact of coal trains on air quality and review coal train dust management practices.
The industry’s operational practices to minimise potential coal dust emissions from trains include:
The industry has several investigations underway that will provide further information about the nature of potential coal dust emissions from trains:
The industry will monitor the outcomes of these studies as well as the outcomes from the review of coal train dust issues that is being conducted by the NSW Chief Scientist and Engineer.