Wollongambe River coal spill

[melinda]

On Thursday, 2nd July, a stockpile of coal fines at Clarence Colliery collapsed and slid downhill into the Wollangambe River. It entered the river at a point within the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area (NSW). Unfortunately, this occurred in the very headwaters of our beloved river.
I am posting this here rather than under the NSW section because I believe everyone needs to know about this. This type of environmental disaster could have happened in anywhere in Australia. So many of our beautiful NP's and world heritage areas are surrounded by mines of different types. To give you an idea of why we love this area so much have a quick look at this link!
http://www.david-noble.net/canyoning/Es ... gambe.html
There has been little media coverage of this disaster!
http://www.smh.com.au/environment/water ... z3fy5Y4lae
This was in the Sydney Morning Herald on July 3. Nothing much since then.
Photos are slowly coming out showing the state of the river.
Just to give you an idea of what our river looks like right now:

Polluted gully downstream from Clarence Colliery

Polluted gully downstream from Clarence Colliery.jpg (122.47 KiB) Viewed 5671 times

Sludge 2 kilometers down stream from where spill occured

This youtube link shows the river and Centennial Coal’s clean up efforts!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OGOBXuT ... e=youtu.be
Please take the time to watch all the video.

(How do you clean a river???)

Allchin09 has posted a topic in the New South Wales & ACT section of the forum. I repost it here.
viewtopic.php?f=36&t=20706
'Get out to the 'Gambe' is our grassroots effort to draw attention to this issue.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1418903758440107/

We want all the canyoners and bushwalkers who love this area to get out there this weekend, or next weekend, or when ever you can get there!
We want people going to their favorite part of the river and taking photos and sharing them with their friends.
We want people in other states to help us keep this issue alive!
Members of the local bush walking clubs are very concerned. So far SBW, BWOC and Bushclub have put walks on their short walks programs so that people can get out there. I'm sure other clubs are equally concerned.
We want more people to know what has happened!
And should you feel, like we feel, we would like you to help!
You can:
*Get angry, no matter where you live in Australia, this is your beautiful river that has been trashed!
*Let the NSW premier what you think: http://www.nsw.gov.au/your-government/c ... outh-wales
* Write a letter to the SMH and let them know what you think: http://www.smh.com.au/comment/welcome-t ... 2ezd5.html
* Share the Facebook group with mates https://www.facebook.com/groups/1418903758440107/
* Get out to the Gambe as soon as you can!

I hope this never happens to a place you love!

[flyfisher]

bump

[melinda]

Our river ails!
https://au.prime7.yahoo.com/n3/video/-/ ... -disaster/

[stepbystep]

Good on you for getting in there Melinda, Alex and co. Kudos. A fate that awaits areas such as Tassie's Tarkine should mining take place in sensitive areas.

I'll share your fight far and wide.

[Pteropus]

Very sad. I lilo'd part of the Wollongambe when I was maybe 10 years old. I recall it being a very hot day, but nice and cool down in the canyon, with very clear fresh water. Good job for bringing this to everyone's attention .
I note this from yesterday -> http://www.westernadvocate.com.au/story ... ht/?cs=115

[weeds]

It's not good and should have had controls in place, problems is I don't know what the answer is........unfortunately it's not as simple as shutting everything down.

[Pteropus]

Unfortunately the Wollangambe isn't the only river in the region threatened by mining runoff -> http://www.smh.com.au/environment/water ... 722-gih2zs

"The NSW Environment Protection Authority has spent months negotiating a new environmental protection licence for an extension of the Springvale underground coal mine near Lithgow. The mine has been releasing highly saline water into the Coxs River since a nearby power station that had been treating and using the water began reducing its take in 2012 and shut down altogether last year.
The EP will allow the mine to continue to release waste water with a maximum of 1200 micro-Siemens per centimetre Electrical Conductivity (EC). That rate compares a natural salinity level of less than 50 EC, and the Australian and New Zealand Environment Conservation Council (ANZECC) guidelines of a maximum pollution level of 350 EC."

[melinda]

Heh every one,
Thanks for caring!
Sorry I haven't gotten back to this earlier.
I don't pretend to know what the answer is, but know this sort of destruction of our wild, world heritage areas is just plain wrong!
Funny you mention the Coxs River, Pteropus!
The mine that is polluting the Coxs River, "Springvale Colliery", is owned by the very same company that owns "Clarence Colliery" that is responsible for the Wollongambe disaster!
http://www.centennialcoal.com.au
Coxs River feeds into Warragamba Dam. Sydney's water supply!
Go figure!!!

[melinda]

This photo was send to me recently.
So just to give you an idea ... dam that breached the coal wall.
Goop flowed into a gully and then flowed into the Wollongambe.