| Potential Effects of Project on Environment | WNP Wharekirauponga Underground Mine - Assessment of Effects of Discharges to Air | 4397169-66885702-23 | | 49 (2022) notes that the long-term effects of exposure are not known but a precautionary approach suggests that it is not zero. As noted earlier, Tonkin and Taylor has modelled the discharge of PM10 and NO2 to predict cumulative ambient discharge concentrations in the vicinity of the vents. The modelling found that PM10 and NO2 concentrations near the vents will be very low when compared with human health assessment criteria. PM10 concentrations are likely to be very similar to areas adjacent to an unpaved public road in the Coromandel (north of the WUG) where baseline ecological assessments of the Archey’s frog habitat have been undertaken. While no scrubbers or other air discharge treatment are proposed, providing the proposed mitigation (ie. dampening exposed underground surfaces) is carried out, , RMA Ecology concludes that the level of effect on Archey’s frog resulting from discharges from the vents is considered to be very low. 7.9 Potential Cumulative Effects There is negligible risk that dust from other mining activities at Waihi will combine with discharges to air from the Willows Road site due to the proposed mitigation measures and the significant separation distance between the boundaries of active areas at the two sites (i.e approximately 4 km). However, any dust generated from the site will combine with other sources of dust in the area. Providing the proposed mitigation measures are carried out as described in Section 5, any increases are unlikely to exceed typical rural background dust levels and the risk of significant cumulative effects is therefore low. 7.10 Summary of Potential Effects The assessment of potential effects has identified that in the absence of appropriate mitigation, there is a moderate to high risk of infrequent, short duration adverse nuisance dust effects at the privately owned dwelling located at 111 Willows Road, (located 145m from the topsoil stockpiles). The risk from nuisance dust at 122 Willows Road, from the topsoil stockpile, is assessed as moderate. This risk of exposure to an increase in deposited dust is a result of surface disturbance and construction earthworks. However, dust levels are not expected to exceed standard and guideline values if mitigation measures are carried out by OGNZL as described in Section 5. These measures have been successfully used to mitigate dust and minimise effects on neighbours at the Waihi mine for a long period of operation. In order to further mitigate the risk of dust events, particularly during construction, causing adverse nuisance effects at the closest dwellings, it is recommended that some additional monitoring of TSP and windspeed/direction, with associated actions if triggered, is carried out (see Section 8). The concentrations of PM10, PM2.5, respirable silica, NO2, and CO are not expected to exceed the current and proposed NESAQ and guideline values beyond the boundary of the Willows Road site. No monitoring of these parameters is considered necessary. The risk of any significant adverse effects on native flora or fauna, resulting from discharges of dust from the project, including Archey’s frog near the proposed vent raises, is considered to be very low. Overall, providing OGNZL uses the dust mitigation measures successfully employed at the Waihi mine and implements the proposed additional monitoring measures (as described in Section 8), the risk of discharges to air creating adverse effects that are a nuisance, or can be deemed noxious, dangerous, offensive or objectionable beyond the Willows site boundary, is considered to be low.
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