Wollongong Coal has another big job on its hands after being ordered to remove an estimated 200,000 tonnes of waste coal which it has stockpiled in breach of its development consent at its Russell Vale mine.
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The waste coal has been there for years and poses a potential threat to the environment downhill, where Bellambi Creek leads to the suburbs of Russell Vale and Bellambi.
The Department of Planning and Environment (DPE) has now issued a formal “development control order” for the miner to get rid of the stockpile, which was not in accordance with the environmental assessment.
Bellambi Lane will receive a surge in coal truck movements, with truck movements permitted only between 7am and 5pm Monday to Friday.
Truck movements are limited to 14 per hour, with a maximum of 134 trucks per day, under the terms of the order.
Up to 14 trucks are allowed to arrive at the Russell Vale colliery between 6am and 7am Monday to Friday.
All “immediate residents” will need to be notified in writing 14 days before the operation begins.
The deadline for the removal is not clear. DPE does not make development control orders public.
The conditions are similar to when the miner was forced by DPE to remove a similar unlawful stockpile from the site in 2016.
“On 19 July 2018, the Department of Planning and Environment’s Compliance Unit ordered Wollongong Coal to remove coal material that was stockpiled in contravention of the mine’s planning approval,” a DPE spokesman said.
”The Department previously issued a penalty notice to Wollongong Coal for this breach. The purpose of the order is to require Wollongong Coal to remedy the breach.
“It has taken time to finalise the order because the removal of the material needed to be subject to environmental assessment so that the department can be satisfied that the environmental impacts of the activity can be managed.”
