Strength. Performance. Passion. Lynwood Quarry. Blast Management Plan. November 2016

Transcription

1 Strength. Performance. Passion Lynwood Quarry Blast Management Plan November 216 i

2 TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction... 3 Purpose and Scope... 3 Baseline data... 3 Blast assessment criteria... 4 Blast Management Description of Blasting Activities for Site Operational Controls Blast Fume Management Protocol... 6 Blast Monitoring Monitoring Equipment Monitoring locations... 7 Reporting... 8 Exceedances and incidents... 8 Complaints... 9 Continuous Improvement

3 1. Introduction Lynwood Quarry is owned and operated by Holcim (Australia) Pty Ltd (Holcim) and was granted development consent on 21 December 25 (DA ) for construction and operation. A modification to the consent was approved on 18 May 215 for the transition from the existing, approved, ignimbrite extraction area to a granite extraction area. Lynwood Quarry will provide a long-term supply of high quality construction material into the Sydney, regional and local markets. The supply to the Sydney market will replacee supply from existing quarries that are nearing the end of their resources. The project area contains a substantial, highh quality, hard rock resource with ready transport access to the main Southern Railway and Hume Highway. The quarry is approved to produce up to five million tonnes per annum (Mtpa) of saleable quarry product for an initial 3 year quarrying period. The target resource has an expected life of over 9 years. 2. Purpose and Scope This Blast Monitoring Plan is to ensure compliance with statutory requirements at Lynwood Quarry. The program addresses the requirements contained in the development consent (DA ) and the Environment Protection Licence (EPL: XXXX). This Plan also specifically satisfies Conditionn 11, Schedule 3, of the Lynwood Quarry Development Consent which states: The Applicant must prepare a Blast Management Plan for the development to the satisfaction of the Secretary. In addition to the standard requirements for management plans (see condition 2 of Schedulee 5) this plan must: (a) be submitted to the Secretary for approval by 3 November 216, unless otherwise agreed by the Secretary; (b) describe the measures that would be implemented to ensure compliance with the blast criteria and operating conditions of this consent; (c) include a monitoring program for evaluating and reporting on compliance with the blasting criteria in this consent; and (d) include a protocol for investigating and responding to complaints. This BMP has been designed in a manner that enables Lynwood Quarry to demonstrate compliance with the blasting and vibration criteria specified in the development consent and in the EPL. It also provides a mechanismm for assessing blast monitoring results against the relevant blast impact assessment criteria as per the development consent. Holcim has approval to extract from two distinct resources the ignimbrite and granite. This BMP covers blasting operations in both pits. 3. Baseline data The blast assessment undertaken for the granite and ignimbrite pits within their respective environmental assessments indicate blasting operations will meet compliance requirements at all residences, infrastructure locations and heritage sites. The information in Table 1 shows the results of the baseline monitoring results for the ignimbrite pit. Monitoring locations are shown in Figure 1. Baseline data was undertaken in the first year of blasting within this pit. Results show no exceedances of the criteria. At 3

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5 November 216, baseline information was only available for the ignimbrite pit. The first year of blasting monitoring for the granite pit will be used for baseline information once it is collected. Table 1: Baseline data for the ignimbrite pit Date 4/7/ /214 14/7/ /214 12/12/ /214 17/12/ /214 19/1/ /215 27/1/ 215 5/2/ /215 9/2/ /215 23/2/ 215 3/3/ 215 5/5/ /215 14/5/ /215 25/5/ /5/ 215 3/6/ /215 29/5/ 215 5/6/ /215 12/6/ /215 26/6/ /6/ /215 Compliance B1- Pipeline Ground vibration (mm/s) <1 B2-Dam Ground vibration (mm/s) <25 Monitoring Points B3-House G round vibration (mm/s).47 Air overpressure (db) 16.8 <5mm/s for 5% of total <115mm/s for 5% of per annum Not above total per annum 1mm/s Not above 12mm/s 4. Blast assessment criteria Schedule 3, Conditions 7 and 8 of the development consent specify the airblast overpressure and ground vibration impact assessment criteria (Table 2, Table 3 and Table 4). Table 2: Airblast Overpressure Impact Assessment Criteria Airblast Overpressure Level (db (Lin Allowable Exceedance Peak)) 115 5% of the total number of blasts over a period of 12 months 12 % 4

6 Table 3: Ground vibration for residences Peak Particle Velocity (mm/s) Allowable Exceedance e 5 5% of the total number of blasts over a period of 12 months 1 % Table 4: Ground vibration for public infastructure Peak Particle Velocity (mm/s) Infrastructure 25 Main Southern Railway Line Reservoir 1 Gas Pipeline. A summary of the criteria to be used at each monitoring point is included in Table 5. The EPL blasting criteria is synonymous with the consent requirements. Table 5 Summary of Blast Emission Criteria Location Vibration Criteria Airblast Criteria (mm/ s) (dbl) Private residences Main Southern Railway Line Gas natural pipeline Water reservoir* 5/ /12 n/a n/a n/a *Note: the water reservoir has not been built by Goulburn Mulwaree Council. As a result, no monitoring is undertaken at this location. Table 6 shows the days and times blasting is restricted for all blasting at Lynwood Quarry. Table 6: Blasting day and time restrictions Activity Blasting Day Monday - Saturday Sunday and Public Holidays Time 9am to 5pm None Blast Management Description of Blasting Activities for Site Typical drill and blast activities at Lynwood Quarry are for the purpose of overburden, inter-burden, and primary raw feed (PRF) from the active pit area to operational requirements. Blasts typically expected at Lynwood Quarry are detailed in Table 7. blasting achieve 5

7 Table 7: Blasting types typical for Lynwood Quarry Blast type Description Production Blasting on defined bench levels within the pit Contour Blasting on natural topographic surfaces. Variable drilll hole depths and material is typically overburden with cap rock Final wall Blasting designed to assist in achieving final wall designs (with or without the aid of pre-splits) Ramp Can mean drill and blasting on a haul road ramp (i.e. at grade) or drill and blast from flat level to achieve a ramp design (varying drill hole depths sometimes referred to as a drop cut) or for sump development Pre-splits Specialised blasting technique designed to control final wall design Secondary Drill and blast activities for oversize, toe within a bench. 5.2 Operational Controls Holcim Australia is committed to implementing reasonable and feasible best practice blast impact mitigation measures at Lynwood Quarry. The relevant blast controls for the operation are detailed thoroughly in the site operational blast management document. This document guides the management practices implemented at each stage of drill and blast activities. In the event blasting is required to be undertaken for safety reasons outside the development consent hours, Holcim will notify the Department of Planning and Environment, Department of Mines and the EPA prior to undertaking the blast. Those residents registered on the blast hotline will also be notified. An investigation into the incident will be conducted. Holcim Australia will implement the following blast management practices: Blasting will only occur between the hours permitted through the development consent unless it is unsafe. Detailed design for each blast in order to maximise the blast efficiency, minimise dust, fumes, ground vibration and air blast, the potential for fly rock as well as to ensure compliance with site specific blasting conditions will be completed. An exclusion zone will be established for each blast to protect the safety of personnel and assets. Blast monitoring will inform future designs so that they can be optimised based on the increase of detailed site information. All blasts will be video recorded Blast Fume Management Protocol In accordance with the requirements of Schedulee 3 Condition 9(c) of the development consent, Holcim Australia are required to implement a blast fume protocol to minimise blast fumes emanating from the Lynwood Quarry operation. The following management controls will be undertaken: Use of appropriately qualified personnel. This includes an assessment of whether the contractor is appropriately trained to undertake the drill or blast works; 6

8 Use of appropriate blast design as approved by the Pit Manager or delegate. Prior to blasting, a visual weather assessment of meteorological conditions will be undertakenn by the Pit Manager. If weather conditions equire further consideration, the Pit Manager will liaise with the site Environmental epresentative to confirm that weather conditions are not conducive to fume migration; All blasts will be video recorded to confirm whether any blast fume has been generated. In the event that blast fume is generated, an investigation into the cause of the blast fume will be undertaken. 6. Blast Monitoring 6.1 Monitoring Equipment Monitoring will be undertakenn in accordance with the ANZECCC Guidelines Technical Basis for Guidelines to Minimise Annoyance due to Blasting Overpressure and Ground Vibration. Instrumentation will meet Australian Standards and the specifications in Table 8 Table 8: Blast Monitoring Equipment Specifications Specification Seismic Air Blast Sample Rate Minimum 124 samples per second per channel Frequency Response Resolution 2 Hz to 25 Hz (3 db points).16 mm/s.1db Range Accuracy.1 mm/s to 254 mm/s 3% at 15 Hz 88 db to 148 db.2 db at 3 Hz Communications Link Recording Mode Keyboard and Modem Full Waveform Recording and Archiving 6.2 Monitoring locations Blast monitoring will be undertaken at the locations shown in Figure 1. The points required to be monitored for the ignimbrite and granite pits are summarised in Table 9. Table 9: Blast locations for ignimbrite and granite pit Blast Location Required Monitoring Site (refer to Figure 1) Ignimbrite Pit Granite Pit

9 As per the EPL, all monitoring records will be: in a legible form, or in a form that can readily be reduced to a legible form; kept for at least four years; and produced in a legible form to any authorised officer of EPA who asks to see them. The following records will also be kept for each blast: date time monitoring point/location the name of the person who undertook the monitoring measured vibration measured overpressure maximum instantaneous charge number of holes and estimated rock tonnage blast type meteorological conditions environmental aspectss (dust plume extent and direction) video recording of each blast 7. Reporting All blast monitoring results will be publicly available on Holcims website in accordance with Schedule 5, Condition 13 of the Development Consent and EPL. Holcim will update these results as required. Holcim will report blasting data annually, including a historical comparison, in the Annual Review to the Department of Planning. Annual reporting to the EPA will be completed throughh the EPL Annual Return. 8. Exceedances and incidents Should any exceedance of the limits be identified or any incident regarding blasting occur, the site Environmental representative, or their delegate, will report to the DP&E and EPA within seven days of becoming aware of the exceedance or incident. 8

10 Lynwood Quarry will also: Take all reasonable and feasible measures to ensure the exceedance or cause of the incident does not reoccur. Consider all reasonable and feasible options for remediation wheree required. Implement directed. reasonablee and feasible remediation measures where appropriate or as 9. Complaints Holcim maintains a blast hotline that allows the community to contact Lynwood Quarry with respect. This hotline also allows members of the community within a two kilometre radius to registerr and be notified of blasting activities. Should a complaint or concern be raised by a member of the community, Holcim will arrange for up to six due diligence monitoring events to occur at or near the premises. Data from the monitoring will be assessed, recorded and discussed with the Quarry Manager and community member. Holcim will maintain a centralised location to maintain communication records. All complaints will be investigated. Table 1 summarises the potential blasting related issues that may arise and the appropriate corrective action to be taken. Table 1: Corrective Actions Problem Corrective Action Exceedance of Investigation of exceedance, undertake mitigation measuress for conditions for airblast or future blasting where applicable. Report exceedance to DP&E, ground vibration criteria EPA and senior management as required. Community complaints Investigation of complaint, undertake mitigation measures where applicable and provide feedback to complainant. Report complaint to senior management. Provide feedback to quarry planning and production personnel where relevant. Private property damage Investigation of issue, and initiation of measures detailed in as a result of blasting Schedule 4, Conditions 2 to 5 of the development consent where operations appropriate. Report issue to senior management. If requested, an independent review of the blast impacts at the property may be undertaken. The independent review will be conducted in accordance with the development consent. 9

11 1. Continuous Improvement Information from monitoring will be reviewed after each blast and assessed annually in the Annual Review to determine compliance against the criteria. The latter will include reflection upon historical data and blast methodologies in order to allow for continuous improvement to take place. 1