More than four months after an underground coal fire burned up again next to Cringila Public School, the Department of Education is still to submit its report into how it will eliminate the problem.
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The Department was slapped with a clean-up notice from the Environment Protection Authority last October, stating there was a “pollution incident” at the site and requiring the Department to fix it.
The fire is beneath the surface of land which was historically used as a coal wash “emplacement area”.
The EPA demanded the Department of Education (DoE) engage a qualified consultant to report on any risks to human health or the environment, how to cease the pollution incident, and how to prevent it recurring. That report was to be completed within two weeks from October 25.
This week the EPA said there were still elevated ground temperatures at the site but the DoE consultants had needed more time to finish the report. There had been no complaints this year, the EPA said.
The DoE has set up web-based access to air quality monitoring from the site, as well as other information, as required by the EPA.
A DoE spokesman said the report should be completed “later this month”.
“There is no visual evidence of fire and recent monitoring indicates significantly reduced activity and only a slight difference in surface temperature,” he said. “Published air quality monitoring confirms no risk to students, staff or the community.”
The fire had previously ignited in 2007, 2004 and 2001.
