| Potential Effects of Project on Environment | WNP Wharekirauponga Underground Mine - Assessment of Effects of Discharges to Air | 4397169-66885702-23 | | 48 The rock stack and mine access road are the most likely sources of RCS and these will be located approximately 600 m to the northwest of the nearest privately owned dwellings on Willows Road at their closest points. Despite the evidence from Waihi monitoring and the Mote study, it is acknowledged that the perception of risks to public health from RCS in dust discharged to air is an identifiable issue for people living close to existing or proposed mines and quarries. This emphasises the need for appropriate dust mitigation techniques to be demonstrably and diligently carried out at Willows Road. 7.7.4 Conclusions The scale of the Willows Road project is small in comparison to the Waihi Mine and consequently, it is considered that the discharges to air of combustion products and respirable silica (RCS) from the proposed activities can be adequately avoided and mitigated and the risk of adverse health effects occurring is negligible. The discharge of fine particulates from vehicle exhausts will be spread across a large area and the contaminants will be well dispersed and diluted prior to reaching the closest dwellings. Any effects resulting from vehicle exhaust emissions on the health of nearby residences are therefore expected to be negligible. It is worth noting that the quality of the air discharged from the proposed ventilation raises will be the atmosphere that mine workers will breathe for all but a few minutes each working day (when blast fumes are exhausted). The amount of ventilation provided will be sufficient to provide a safe working environment for underground workers. This means that the concentration of contaminants will be required to be below the Workplace Exposure Standards (2020) set by Worksafe New Zealand. Modelling by Tonkin and Taylor (December 2021) of predicted cumulative ambient air concentrations of PM10 and NO2 in the vicinity of the proposed vents will be very low when compared against human health assessment criteria. 7.8 Potential Effects on Ecology 7.8.1 Vegetation Excessive dust has the potential to adversely affect vegetation by interfering with plant photosynthesis, promoting weed or disease incidence and interfering with the efficacy of pesticide and fertiliser applications. Excessive dust can also make pasture less palatable to stock. The nature and degree of effects of dust deposition on plants is dependent on the chemical characteristics of the dust, the particle size and the species of plants. The vegetation around the surface infrastructure associated with the project is predominantly pasture used for dairy farming. However, native vegetation is located within the CFP immediately to the north of the site which will surround the proposed mine ventilation raises. The tunnel ventilation raises will be constructed within, or close to the native vegetation.. While there may be some short-term localised disturbance and minor dust deposition during construction, this will be minor in context and quickly wash off during subsequent rainfall. Any ongoing effects on native vegetation from dust at the raises during mining will very localised and minor. 7.8.2 Archey’s Frog The general area of the proposed raises includes habitat for a rare frog species (Archey’s frog). The key discharges to air from the proposed vents are fine particulate matter less than ten microns (PM10) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2). Frogs are very vulnerable to absorbing emissions through their skin. RMA Ecology
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