The NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA) said two weeks of monitoring show emissions from BlueScope's sinter plant are at the same levels or below those recorded prior to the fire that destroyed the plant's fibreglass stack.
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Because of the "encouraging" results BlueScope has now requested a variation to the licence in regard to the frequency of monitoring for some parameters.
BlueScope recommissioned a 40-year-old stack to restart sinter plant operations while a new steel stack is built to replace the fibreglass stack that burnt down on October 13.
As part of stringent conditions set by the EPA around the restart of the sinter plant, BlueScope began monitoring and publishing emissions data on its website.
Giselle Howard, EPA's director for the metropolitan region, said the EPA carefully considered all potential risks to the community before allowing the restart.
"In order to restart the sinter plant, BlueScope was required to commit to extensive monitoring of its stack emissions for a range of parameters including particles, metals, and organic compounds, such as dioxins and furans," Ms Howard said.
"BlueScope have posted the test results on their website and updated them whenever new results are obtained.
"The results of the last two weeks of monitoring show emissions are at the same levels or below of that applied at the sinter plant before the fire occurred and when the waste gas clean plant was operating.
"These results are encouraging and show interim arrangements for the operation of the sinter plant appear to be progressing well and within the predictions of the initial assessments," Ms Howard said.
"Importantly the monitoring data to date shows consistently low dioxin levels, well below the licence limit, and hexavalent chromium levels so low that they are at the limit of detection."
Ms Howard said in light of the monitoring results and growing confidence in the performance of the sinter plant, BlueScope had requested a variation to the licence in regard to the current frequency of monitoring for some parameters, including a reduction in the frequency of dioxin monitoring. Dioxin is being monitored daily.
Ms Howard said this request by BlueScope was being assessed by EPA and NSW Health.
"Any decision made around the frequency of monitoring by the EPA will be informed by a peer review and objective interpretation of all test results by an independent third party," she said.
"A thorough health risk assessment is also being prepared based on monitoring data to date.
"If new information emerges at any time regarding emissions or activities are carried out in an environmentally unsatisfactory manner, the EPA will not hesitate to issue further directions to the company," Ms Howard said.
As part of the approval conditions for the start-up of the sinter plant the EPA has also required BlueScope to establish a community consultative committee to ensure the community continues to have access to environmental information about its operations.
A framework for the establishment of this committee has been submitted to the EPA.
Any resident or community member with concerns can contact the EPA Wollongong office on 4224 4100 or the EPA Environment Line on 131 555.
