Noise Monitoring Program. for the. Integra North Open Cut Coal Mine

Transcription

1 . Integra Coal Operations Pty Ltd ABN: Noise Monitoring Program for the Integra North Open Cut Coal Mine Including a Noise Management Protocol

2 Integra Coal Operations Pty Ltd ABN: Noise Monitoring Program for the Integra North Open Cut Coal Mine Including a Noise Management Protocol Prepared for: Integra Coal Operations Pty Ltd ABN: PMB 7 SINGLETON NSW 2330 Prepared by: R.W. Corkery & Co. Pty. Limited Geological & Environmental Consultants ABN: Brooklyn Office: 1st Floor, 12 Dangar Road PO Box 239 BROOKLYN NSW 2083 Telephone: (02) Facsimile: (02) environ@integracoal.com.au Orange Office: Suite 15, 256 Anson Street ORANGE NSW 2800 Telephone: (02) Telephone: (02) Facsimile: (02) Facsimile: (02) mail@rwcorkery.com admin@rwcorkery.com Ref No. 642/10a February 2009

3 INTEGRA COAL OPERATIONS PTY LTD - ii - NOISE MONITORING PROGRAM This Copyright is included for the protection of this document COPYRIGHT R.W. Corkery & Co. Pty. Limited 2009 and Integra Coal Operations Pty Ltd 2009 All intellectual property and copyright reserved. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study, research, criticism or review, as permitted under the Copyright Act, 1968, no part of this report may be reproduced, transmitted, stored in a retrieval system or adapted in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise) without written permission. Enquiries should be addressed to R.W. Corkery & Co. Pty. Limited.

4 NOISE MONITORING PROGRAM - iii - INTEGRA COAL OPERATIONS PTY LTD CONTENTS Page ACRONYMS USED THROUGHOUT THIS REPORT... v 1 INTRODUCTION BACKGROUND Project Overview APPROVAL REQUIREMENTS Noise Criteria Continuous Improvement Predicted Noise Impacts of the Project MANAGEMENT SAFEGUARDS AND AMELIORATIVE ACTIONS Environmental Policy Noise Mitigation Controls Noise Management Measures Noise Management Risk Levels NOISE MONITORING PROGRAM Introduction Real-time Noise Monitoring Introduction Monitoring Location Monitoring Frequency Real-time Monitoring Procedures Attended Monitoring Program Introduction Monitoring Locations Monitoring Frequency Period to Which this Program is Relevant Instrumentation and Measurement Parameters Attended Noise Surveys Weather Monitoring Instrumentation Attended Monitoring Procedures Complaint (Noise Affectation) Generated Monitoring Introduction Noise Complaint Management Strategy Attended Noise Monitoring - Complaint Response Unattended Noise Monitoring - Complaint Response NOISE MONITORING PROTOCOL Recording and Reporting Noise Monitoring Results Real-time Noise Monitoring Attended and Unattended (Complaint Response) Noise Monitoring Result Notification Government Agencies Local Landowners Noise Monitoring Triggered Actions... 27

5 INTEGRA COAL OPERATIONS PTY LTD - iv - NOISE MONITORING PROGRAM CONTENTS Page 7 RESPONSIBILITIES AND ACCOUNTABILITIES AUDIT AND REVIEW...29 FIGURES Figure N1 Locality Plan...2 Figure N2 Mine Site Layout...5 Figure N3 Landownership, Residences and Monitoring Locations...13 TABLES Table N1 Proposed Hours of Operation...4 Table N2 Noise Impact Assessment Criteria...8 Table N3 Land Acquisition Criteria...10 Table N4 Land Subject to Additional Noise Mitigation upon request...10 Table N5 Additional Noise Mitigation Criteria...11 Table N6 Project Specific Noise Criteria Exceedances Year Table N7 Project Specific Noise Criteria Exceedances - Year Table N8 Project Specific Noise Criteria Exceedances - Year Table N9 Noise Monitoring Locations...20 Table N10 Meteorological Measurement Parameters...22 Table N11 Responsible Positions and Accountable Tasks...29

6 NOISE MONITORING PROGRAM - v - INTEGRA COAL OPERATIONS PTY LTD ACRONYMS USED THROUGHOUT THIS REPORT AEMR - Annual Environmental Management Report CCC - Community Consultative Committee CHPP - Coal Handling and Preparation Plant DECC (EPA) DoP - - Department of Environment and Climate Change (Environment Protection Authority) Department of Planning DPI-MR - Department of Primary Industries - Mineral Resources EA - Environmental Assessment EDST - Eastern Daylight Savings Time EST - Eastern Standard Time EMS - Environmental Management Strategy ENCM - Environmental Noise Control Manual INP - Industrial Noise Policy ISO - International Standards Organisation NMP - Noise Management Program NMPr - Noise Monitoring Protocol PA - Project Approval ROM - Run of Mine

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8 NOISE MONITORING PROGRAM INTEGRA COAL OPERATIONS PTY LTD 1 INTRODUCTION Integra Coal Operations Pty Ltd ( Integra ) operates the (formerly referred to as the Glennies Creek Open Cut Coal Mine) under Project Approval (PA) 06_0073, issued by the Minister for Planning on 2 December 2008 (Figure N1). This Noise Monitoring Program (NMP) has been prepared by R.W. Corkery and Co. Pty. Limited to provide a program for monitoring noise generated by the mine and a protocol for reviewing, reporting and appropriately responding to the results of monitoring in accordance with Condition 3(8) of PA 06_0073. Condition 3(8) of PA 06_0073 states the following. The Proponent shall prepare and implement a Noise Monitoring Program for the project to the satisfaction of the Director-General. This program must: (a) be prepared in consultation with DECC; (b) be submitted to the Director-General for approval within 3 months from the date of this approval; and (c) include a: combination of real-time and supplementary attended monitoring measures; and noise monitoring protocol for evaluating compliance with the noise impact assessment and land acquisition criteria in this approval. The NMP includes: a brief description of the mine, as approved by PA 06_0073 and a summary of the predicted noise levels that may be received at residences surrounding the Mine Site (Section 2); the noise impact assessment criteria and approval requirements for the mine (Section 3); a review of Integra s Environmental Policy and the noise mitigation measures and controls that Integra has committed to implementing for the life of the mine (Section 4); the locations, frequency, method and procedures for monitoring noise generated by the mine (Section 5); a Noise Monitoring Protocol (NMPr), prepared in accordance with Condition 3(8(c)) of PA 06_0073, which will be implemented for the life of the mine (Section 6); a description of the responsibilities and accountabilities of mine personnel in relation to the NMP (Section 7); and details of regular audits and reviews of the NMP to be undertaken (Section 8). This NMP has been prepared with reference to relevant legislation and guidelines, and is consistent with the commitments in the following documentation which were prepared prior to the granting of the development consent:

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10 NOISE MONITORING PROGRAM INTEGRA COAL OPERATIONS PTY LTD Noise and Blasting Assessment included as Part 2 of the Specialist Consultant Studies Compendium accompanying the Environmental Assessment for the (referred to hereafter as (Heggies, 2007)). Environmental Assessment specifically Section D3 and Section E (5). Final Statement of Commitments specifically commitments 5.1 to BACKGROUND 2.1 Project Overview Project Approval 06_0073 was granted for the mine by the Minister for Planning on 2 December The mine will extract approximately 7.7 million tonnes of ROM coal by open cut mining methods in the area immediately adjacent to the Integra Underground portal and northern boundary of the Camberwell North Pit, approximately 12km north of Singleton in the Hunter Valley coal mining district of NSW (Figure N1). Development and operation of the mine will involve the following noise generating activities. Figure N2 provides an overview of the layout of the Mine Site. Construction of the Amenity Bund adjacent to the northeastern and northern margin of the open cut. Construction of a number of internal haul roads. Coal mining by open cut methods within a pit shell covering approximately 90ha. Transportation of ROM coal to the Camberwell CHPP via a combination of internal haul routes. Highwall / auger mining. During the course of the open cut mining, there may be opportunities to undertake mining from the northern highwall using either highwall or auger mining methods to extract additional coal. Programmed placement of waste rock materials from the open cut. Initially, this would be to an out-of-pit emplacement, with subsequent placement out-of-pit as well as in-pit in areas where mining has been completed. When required, stockpiling of ROM coal at a temporary ROM coal stockpile area located at the top of the active open cut ramp or within the existing RL100 Stockpile Area, with subsequent transportation to the Camberwell CHPP. Progressive construction of surface water control structures, including two dirty water containment dams. Progressive reshaping and rehabilitation of all areas of mining-related disturbance. The approved hours of operation for the various noise generating activities are presented in Table N1.

11 INTEGRA COAL OPERATIONS PTY LTD NOISE MONITORING PROGRAM Table N1 Proposed Hours of Operation Activity Proposed Days of Operation Proposed Hours of Operation Vegetation clearing and topsoil 5 days a week, during each stripping campaign 7:00am to 10.00pm Open cut mining (including waste rock and coal mining) 7 days a week 7:00am to 10:00pm Rehabilitation Works 7 days a week 7:00am to 10.00pm Blasting Up to 5 blasts per week, Monday to Saturday 9:00am to 5:00pm (EST) 1 Highwall / auger mining 7 days a week 24 hours Transportation of ROM coal (Haul Routes A to D) 7 days a week 7:00am to 10:00pm Transportation of ROM coal (Haul Route E) 7 days a week 24 hours Coal Processing at Camberwell 7 days a week 24 hours / day CHPP Product Coal Despatch by rail via Camberwell rail loading facility 7 days a week 24 hours Note 1: 9:00am to 6:00pm (EDST) 3 APPROVAL REQUIREMENTS 3.1 Noise Criteria Noise impact assessment criteria for the various stages and activities associated with the mine s development were established by Heggies (2007) in accordance with the INP. These criteria have been modified slightly and included in PA 06_0073 as Conditions 3(2) to 3(6). Condition 3(2) to 3(6) are reproduced below. Note that table numbers referred to in quoted approval conditions relate to tables in PA 06_0073. Where those tables have been reproduced in this document, the relevant table reference is provided in square brackets. "Condition 3(2) Noise Impact Assessment Criteria 2. The Proponent shall ensure that the noise generated by the development does not exceed the noise impact assessment criteria in Table 2 [Table N2] at any residence on privately-owned land, or on more than 25% of any privately-owned land. Condition 3(3) Land Acquisition Criteria 3. If the noise generated by the development exceeds the criteria in Table 3 [Table N3] at any residence on privately-owned land, or on more than 25% of any privately-owned land, the Proponent shall, upon receiving a written request for acquisition from the landowner, acquire the land in accordance with the procedures in Conditions 9-11 of Schedule 4.

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13 NOISE MONITORING PROGRAM INTEGRA COAL OPERATIONS PTY LTD Conditions 3(4) and 3(5) Cumulative Noise Criteria 4. The Proponent shall take all reasonable and feasible measures to ensure that the noise generated by the development combined with the noise generated by other mines does not exceed the following amenity criteria at any residence on privatelyowned land, or on more than 25% of any privately owned land, excluding the land listed in Table 1, to the satisfaction of the Director-General: LAeq(11 hour) 50 db(a) Day; LAeq(4 hour) 45 db(a) Evening; and LAeq(9 hour) 40 db(a) Night. 5. If the noise generated by the development combined with the noise generated by other mines exceeds the following amenity criteria at any residence on privatelyowned land, or on more than 25% of any privately-owned land, excluding the land listed in Table 1, then upon receiving a written request for acquisition from the landowner, the Proponent shall acquire the land on as equitable basis as possible with the relevant mines, in accordance with the procedures in Conditions 9-11 of Schedule 4, to the satisfaction of the Director-General: LAeq(11 hour) 53 db(a) Day; LAeq(4 hour) 48 db(a) Evening; and LAeq(9 hour) 43 db(a) Night. Note: The cumulative noise generated by the development combined with the noise generated by other mines is to be measured in accordance with the relevant procedures in the NSW Industrial Noise Policy. Condition 3(6) Noise Mitigation Measures 6. Upon receiving a written request from: a landowner of the land listed in Table 1 (unless the landowner has requested acquisition); or a landowner of the land listed in Table 4 (except where a negotiated noise agreement is in place); or any residence on privately-owned land where subsequent noise monitoring show the noise generated by the project is greater than or equal to the equivalent criteria in Table 5 (except where a negotiated noise agreement is in place), the Proponent shall implement noise mitigation measures such as double glazing, insulation, and/or air conditioning at any residence on the land in consultation with the landowner."

14 INTEGRA COAL OPERATIONS PTY LTD NOISE MONITORING PROGRAM Land Number / Receiver 1 Table N2 Noise Impact Assessment Criteria Day L Aeq(15 minute) Evening L Aeq(15 minute) Night L Aeq(15 minute) Noise Assessment Group A - South 1 1 L Cox DP Cox L Cox W Cox DK Geelan WB & NM Pendered F Ferraro PK & KJ Russell MA Hoggan GB & J Barnett A H Lambkin WM Cooper WM & GF Cooper A Garvie SH Andrews SH Andrews All privately owned land within Noise Assessment Group A South Noise Assessment Group A North 1 17 SH Andrews GE Lambkin BW & RC Frazer DJ Hamilton AJ Cox DER Cope DJ Hamilton JF & CM Whitney D Kacunic & C Jensen D Kacunic & C Jensen AP & JA Egan RE & WJ Gardener C & D Kay HL Castledine D Baker JA Welsh ED & J Upward ED & J Upward MA & RP Porter HM Upward & Sons All privately owned land within Noise Assessment Group A - North Noise Assessment Group B 1 All privately owned land within Noise Assessment Group B Noise Assessment Group C 1 35 WE & AM Gardner JH & MR Moore All privately owned land within Noise Assessment Group C Page 1 of 3 Night L A1(1 minute)

15 NOISE MONITORING PROGRAM INTEGRA COAL OPERATIONS PTY LTD Land Number / Receiver Table N2 (Cont d) Noise Impact Assessment Criteria Day L Aeq(15 minute) Evening L Aeq(15 minute) Night L Aeq(15 minute) Noise Assessment Group D 1 37 BW & RA Cherry GW & JH Cheetham GW & JH Cheetham GW & JH Cheetham GW & JH Cheetham All privately owned land within Noise Assessment Group D Noise Assessment Group E 1 43 DR & MK Bridge B & JM Moran B & JM Moran BW &YE Scott G Holmes B Wilson J A Welsh MA & DM Lancaster MH & JA Westcott D & TJ Dwar D & K Moran All privately owned land within Noise Assessment Group E Noise Assessment Group F 1 56 I & P Hedges or L Aeq, 9 hours 57 I & P Hedges or 37 L Aeq, 9 hours 59 GM Watson or 37 L Aeq, 9 hours 61 AC Noble or 37 L Aeq, 9 hours 62 AC Noble or 37 L Aeq, 9 hours 63 AC Noble or 37 L Aeq, 9 hours 64 GJ Donnellan or 37 L Aeq, 9 hours 65 GJ Donnellan or 37 L Aeq, 9 hours 74 AC Noble or 37 L Aeq, 9 hours 75 M & G Smith or 37 L Aeq, 9 hours 76 SJ McInerney or 37 All privately owned land within Noise Assessment Group F Noise Assessment Group G 1 All privately owned land within Noise Assessment Group G L Aeq, 9 hours or 37 L Aeq, 9 hours Page 2 of 3 Night L A1(1 minute)

16 INTEGRA COAL OPERATIONS PTY LTD NOISE MONITORING PROGRAM Land Number / Receiver Table N2 (Cont d) Noise Impact Assessment Criteria Day L Aeq(15 minute) Evening L Aeq(15 minute) Night L Aeq(15 minute) Noise Assessment Group H 1 33 RG & DA Hall or 38 L Aeq, 9 hours 71 BH & RE Richards or 38 L Aeq, 9 hours Page 3 of 3 Night L A1(1 minute) All privately owned land within Noise or Assessment Group H L Aeq, 9 hours All other privately owned land Notes: The land numbers and receiver references are as described in the EA, and shown in Appendix 4. To determine compliance with the L Aeq(15 minute) noise limits, noise from the project is to be measured at the most affected point within the residential boundary, or at the most affected point within 30 metres of a dwelling (rural situations) where the dwelling is more than 30 metres from the boundary. Where it can be demonstrated that direct measurement of noise from the project is impractical, the DECC may accept alternative means of determining compliance (see Chapter 11 of the NSW Industrial Noise Policy). The modification factors in Section 4 of the NSW Industrial Noise Policy shall also be applied to the measured noise levels where applicable. To determine compliance with the L A1(1 minute) noise limits, noise from the project is to be measured at 1 metre from the dwelling façade. Where it can be demonstrated that direct measurement of noise from the project is impractical, the DECC may accept alternative means of determining compliance (see Chapter 11 of the NSW Industrial Noise Policy). The noise emission limits identified in the above table apply under meteorological conditions of: - wind speeds of up to 3m/s at 10 metres above ground level; or - temperature inversion conditions of up to 3C/100m, and wind speeds of up to 2m/s at 10 metres above ground level, determined in accordance with the NSW Industrial Noise Policy. Reference 1: Noise Assessment Group locations are presented on Figure N3. Reference 2: Now owned by Integra Coal Operations. Reference 3: Now owned by M& D Watson. Table N3 reproduces the land acquisition criteria identified in Table 3 of PA 06_ Table N3 Land Acquisition Criteria Land Number / Receiver 1 Day L Aeq(15 minute) Evening L Aeq(15 minute) Night L Aeq(15 minute) Noise Assessment Group A South Noise Assessment Group A North Noise Assessment Group B Noise Assessment Group C Noise Assessment Group D Noise Assessment Group E Noise Assessment Group F Noise Assessment Group G Noise Assessment Group H All other privately owned land Note: Noise generated by the project is to be measured in accordance with the notes presented in Table N2. Reference 1: Noise Assessment Group locations are presented on Figure N3. Table N4 Land Subject to Additional Noise Mitigation upon request 7 Ferraro 27 AP & JA Egan 8 PK & KJ Russell 28 RE & WJ Gardener

17 NOISE MONITORING PROGRAM INTEGRA COAL OPERATIONS PTY LTD Table N5 Additional Noise Mitigation Criteria Land Number / Receiver 1 Day L Aeq(15 minute) Evening L Aeq(15 minute) Night L Aeq(15 minute) Noise Assessment Group A South Noise Assessment Group A North Noise Assessment Group B Noise Assessment Group C Noise Assessment Group D Noise Assessment Group E Noise Assessment Group F Noise Assessment Group G Noise Assessment Group H All other privately owned land Note: Noise generated by the project is to be measured in accordance with the notes presented in Table 2. Reference 1: Noise Assessment Group locations are presented on Figure N Continuous Improvement Additionally, PA 06_0073 Condition 3(7) requires that: "The Proponent shall: a) implement all reasonable and feasible best practice noise mitigation measures; b) investigate ways to reduce the noise generated by the development, including maximum noise levels which may result in sleep disturbance; and c) report on these investigations and the implementation and effectiveness of these measures in the AEMR." The results of the NMP will assist in identifying elements of the mine's operations where modifications to procedures or equipment may be effective in reducing noise levels as required by Condition 3 (7). 3.3 Predicted Noise Impacts of the Project Noise modelling completed by Heggies Pty Ltd as part of a Noise and Blasting Assessment undertaken to support the Environmental Assessment (Heggies, 2007) predicted noise levels received at a number of residences surrounding the Mine Site may exceed the noise impact assessment criteria nominated in Condition 3(2) of PA 06_0073. In most cases, the level of predicted noise exceedance was less than 5dB(A) and was predicted only under a combination of worst-case operating and meteorological conditions. In a limited number of cases, exceedances of greater than 5dB(A) were predicted, although once again under a combination of worst-case operating and meteorological conditions. Figure N3 presents the location of residences surrounding the Mine Site. Tables N6, N7 and N8 identify those residences for the three assessed scenarios, namely Years 1, 3 and 6 of the mine life for which an exceedance of the noise impact assessment criteria identified in Condition 3(2) of PA 06_0073 has been predicted, the level of exceedance and during which operating period (day, evening or night) the exceedance is predicted to occur.

18 INTEGRA COAL OPERATIONS PTY LTD NOISE MONITORING PROGRAM Table N6 Project Specific Noise Criteria Exceedances Year 1 Criteria (db(a)) Residences 3 Vacant Land Noise Assessment Group Day Evening Night LAeq(15 minute) Night LAeq(9 hour) Noise Management Zone (1-5dB(A) over criteria) Noise Affectation Zone (>5dB(A)) Noise Management Zone (1-5dB(A) over criteria) Noise Affectation Zone (>5dB(A)) A (South) (AN), 6(AN), 7(AN), Nil 102 (AN) Nil 8(AN), A (North) (E), 27(E), 28(E) Nil 104(E),105(D), 107(D,E), 104(D) 106(D), 113(D), 117(D) B Nil 32(D,E) Nil Nil C Nil Nil Nil Nil D Nil Nil Nil Nil E Nil Nil Nil Nil F Nil Nil Nil Nil G Nil Nil Nil Nil H Nil Nil Nil Nil Note: D indicates an exceedance of the daytime criterion. E indicates an exceedance of the evening criterion. AN indicates an exceedance of the night criterion under adverse conditions, ie. temperature inversion. Vacant land assessment criteria based on exceedances over >25% of the land area Note 1: or 37dB(A) (L Aeq (9 hours)) Note 2: or 38dB(A) (L Aeq (9 hours)) Note 3: Residences 32 and 36 have become Project-related residences following completion of the Environmental Assessment Source: Compiled from Heggies (2007) Tables 14 and 15. Table N7 Project Specific Noise Criteria Exceedances - Year 3 Criteria (db(a)) Criteria (db(a)) Criteria (db(a)) Noise Assessment Group Day Evening Night LAeq(15 minute) Night LAeq(9 hour) Noise Management Zone (1-5dB(A) over criteria) Noise Affectation Zone (>5dB(A)) Noise Management Zone (1-5dB(A) over criteria) Noise Affectation Zone (>5dB(A)) A (South) (AN), 6(AN), Nil 102 (AN), Nil 7(AN), 8(AN), A (North) Nil Nil Nil Nil B Nil 32(D,E), 36(D,E) Nil Nil C Nil Nil Nil Nil D Nil Nil Nil Nil E Nil Nil Nil Nil F Nil Nil Nil Nil G Nil Nil Nil Nil H Nil Nil Nil Nil Note: D indicates an exceedance of the daytime criterion. E indicates an exceedance of the evening criterion. AN indicates an exceedance of the night criterion under adverse conditions, ie. temperature inversion. Vacant land assessment criteria based on exceedances over >25% of the land area Note 1: or 37dB(A) (L Aeq (9 hours)) Note 2: or 38dB(A) (L Aeq (9 hours)) Note 3: Residences 32 and 36 have become Project-related residences following completion of the Environmental Assessment Source: Compiled from Heggies (2007) Tables 16 and 17

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20 NOISE MONITORING PROGRAM INTEGRA COAL OPERATIONS PTY LTD Noise Assessment Group Day Table N8 Project Specific Noise Criteria Exceedances - Year 6 Criteria (db(a)) Evening Night LAeq(15 minute) Night LAeq(9 hour) Noise Management Zone (1-5dB(A) over criteria) Residences Noise Affectation Zone (>5dB(A)) Noise Management Zone (1-5dB(A) over criteria) Vacant Land Noise Affectation Zone (>5dB(A)) A (South) (AN), 6(AN), Nil 102 (AN), Nil 7(AN), 8(AN), A (North) Nil Nil Nil Nil B (D,E), 36(D) 36(E) Nil Nil C Nil Nil Nil Nil D Nil Nil Nil Nil E Nil Nil Nil Nil F Nil Nil Nil Nil G Nil Nil Nil Nil H Nil Nil Nil Nil Note: D indicates an exceedance of the daytime criterion. E indicates an exceedance of the evening criterion. AN indicates an exceedance of the night criterion under adverse conditions, ie. temperature inversion. Vacant land assessment criteria based on exceedances over >25% of the land area Note 1: or 37dB(A) (L Aeq (9 hours)) Note 2: or 38dB(A) (L Aeq (9 hours)) Note 3: Residences 32 and 36 have become Project-related residences following completion of the Environmental Assessment Source: Compiled from Heggies (2007) Tables 18 and 19 4 MANAGEMENT SAFEGUARDS AND AMELIORATIVE ACTIONS 4.1 Environmental Policy Integra will operate the mine in accordance with the Company's existing Environmental Policy which states: "At Integra Open Cut, we are committed to the development of a positive culture where we are responsible and accountable for our actions at all levels of our business. We are committed to operating in an environmentally responsible and safe manner through the application of our Operating Philosophy and Environmental Management System by; complying with applicable environmental laws, regulations and statutory obligations; communicating regularly with stakeholders; and making environmental considerations an integral part of our activities." In accordance with this policy, Integra has committed to implementing the noise mitigation and management controls presented in Sections 4.2 and 4.3 of this document at the mine.

21 INTEGRA COAL OPERATIONS PTY LTD NOISE MONITORING PROGRAM 4.2 Noise Mitigation Controls Noise mitigation would include the following. The hours of open cut mining operations will be limited to between 7:00am and 10:00pm. Development activities such as tree clearing and soil stripping will, unless absolutely necessary for operational purposes, only be undertaken during the daytime. Mining activities conducted during the evening (6:00pm to 10:00pm) will, as far as practicable, be limited to the deeper sections of the open cut where there will be an effective topographic barrier between the sources of mining-related noise and nearby residences. Where highwall or auger mining activities are occurring at night, ie. between the hours of 10:00pm and 7:00am, all mining-related activities, with the exception of light vehicles entering or leaving the open cut, will occur in the deepest portions of the open cut. Once the mine has progressed sufficiently to allow both in-pit and out-of-pit emplacement of waste rock, mining during evening operations will preferentially involve waste rock emplacement within those portions of the in-pit emplacement that are deepest within the open cut. During daytime mining operations, waste rock will preferentially be placed in the upper portions of the in-pit or out-of-pit emplacements. The construction of the out-of-pit waste rock emplacement, and those portions of the in-pit waste rock emplacement that are above the existing ground surface, will be planned such that to the extent predictable, during the daytime, material would be preferentially placed at the margins of the emplacement to create an acoustic bund, while during the evening it will be placed immediately behind the acoustic bund. Use noise-mitigated mobile equipment such that the total sound power level from operating equipment meets the noise emission levels predicted in the Environmental Assessment for each receiver. Where proposed Haul Route A traverses the out-of-pit waste rock emplacement and proposed Haul Route C traverses the proposed open cut pit shell, acoustic bunds will be constructed adjacent to the haul roads to minimise the impact of coal transportation activities on surrounding residents. 4.3 Noise Management Measures In addition to the above mitigation controls, Integra will adopt the following measures to identify and manage noise levels which may exceed the noise criteria identified in Table N7 at residences surrounding to the Project Site. Noise monitoring, as described in Section 5, will be undertaken at representative residences surrounding the Mine Site.

22 NOISE MONITORING PROGRAM INTEGRA COAL OPERATIONS PTY LTD Regular discussions will be held with those residents potentially affected by mine noise emissions, to identify if any concerns exist. The surrounding residents and broader community will be informed that the existing environmental complaints line for the Integra operations ( ) would apply to the proposed open cut mine. All residents will be encouraged to contact site management regarding any issue of concern. Integra will respond to any noise related complaint or issue of concern promptly. A program of continuous improvement, using the results of noise monitoring to identify activities where modifications to noise mitigation measures and operating procedures would be most affective in reducing noise levels, will be implemented. All potentially affected residents and landowners surrounding the Mine Site will be notified of their entitlement to receive additional noise mitigation measures should noise levels received at their residence exceed the noise criteria identified in Condition 3(6). Where exceedances of noise criteria are substantiated by monitoring results, acoustical mitigation will be provided, as required by Condition 3(6), within 3 months of receiving a request from the landowner. In the event Integra and the landowner cannot agree on the measures to be implemented, or there is a dispute about the implementation of these measures, then either party may refer the matter to the Director-General for resolution (in accordance with the procedure identified in Appendix 8 of PA 06_0073). In the event that noise mitigation measures described above do not adequately mitigate against exceedances of the relevant noise criteria or the landowner and Integra agree that such mitigation measures will not be implemented, Integra will attempt to negotiate a suitable compensation or other arrangement with the relevant landholder. 4.4 Noise Management Risk Levels A component of the real-time noise monitoring program will be the establishment of two Noise Management Risk Levels, namely Low Risk and High Risk. These risk levels will be determined each morning for the following 24 hours and will be based on whether light winds with strengths of less than 3m/s and / or temperature inversions are anticipated during the subsequent 24 hours. Noise management risk levels may be established for particular times of the day such as when temperature inversions or adverse winds are anticipated. Noise management measures to be implemented during periods of Low Noise Management Risk will be as described in Section 4.2. Noise management measures that will be implemented during periods of High Noise Management Risk will be as follows. The noise management measures described in Section 4.2 would be fully implemented.

23 INTEGRA COAL OPERATIONS PTY LTD NOISE MONITORING PROGRAM Where practicable, activities likely to result in significant noise emissions will avoided on the upper sections of the waste rock emplacement and will instead be undertaken on lower sections of the emplacement or within the open cut. Where practicable, noisy equipment such as bulldozers will be replaced with less noisy equipment such as front-end-loaders or graders. Where the measures described previously cannot be implemented or are not effective in reducing noise levels from the Mine Site below the real-time noise monitoring trigger level (see Section 5.2.4), additional noise mitigation measures would be investigated, including progressively ceasing activities within the Mine Site until such time as the noise emissions from the Mine Site fall below the realtime noise monitoring trigger level. 5 NOISE MONITORING PROGRAM 5.1 Introduction Condition 3(8) requires that: "The Proponent shall prepare and implement a Noise Monitoring Program for the project to the satisfaction of the Director-General. This program must: a. be prepared in consultation with DECC; b. be submitted to the Director-General for approval within 3 months from the date of this approval; and c. include a: combination of real-time and supplementary attended monitoring measures; and noise monitoring protocol for evaluating compliance with the noise impact assessment and land acquisition criteria in this approval." Section 5.2 provides the detail of a real-time monitoring program for the mine while Section 5.3 provides the detail of the routine attended monitoring program at representative residential locations surrounding the Mine Site. Section 5.4 provides detail of monitoring that would be undertaken in response to complaints received from surrounding residents/landowners or in order to determine whether additional mitigation measures need to be implemented in accordance with Condition 3(6) of PA 06_ Real-time Noise Monitoring Introduction Real-time noise monitoring will initially be undertaken at the location identified on Figure N3. The final location may, however, be subject to review on the basis of attended monitoring results and as changes to operational areas or the nature or location of noise producing activities. The real-time noise monitoring results will be used to manage operations within the Mine Site to minimise the potential for exceedances of the criteria identified in Section 3.1.

24 NOISE MONITORING PROGRAM INTEGRA COAL OPERATIONS PTY LTD Monitoring Location Real time noise monitoring will be undertaken at a single location as indicated on Figure N Monitoring Frequency Real time monitoring would be undertaken 24 hours per day, 7 days per week Real-time Monitoring Procedures The real-time noise monitor will provide a an indication of noise levels in real time via a data link to a control point within the North Open Cut Mine offices or elsewhere as required. The following real-time noise monitoring procedures would be implemented during the life of the North Open Cut. 1. A real-time environmental monitoring control centre will be established in an appropriate location within the North Open Cut offices. 2. If a noise exceedance is suspected or noise complaint is received, the Environmental Advisor, or their delegate, will inspect the results of the previous 24 hours of real-time noise and climate monitoring each morning and will complete and sign a Noise Monitoring Checklist. This checklist will include the following information. The L Aeq (15minute) noise levels from all sources as recorded by the monitor. If a filter is applied, the filtered and unfiltered noise levels will be recorded separately. Previous 24 hour maximum and minimum temperatures. Previous 24 hour average wind speed and predominant direction. Previous 24 hour maximum wind speed and direction. Whether a temperature inversion may have occurred during the previous 24 hour period, and if so, what was the estimated temperature gradient. Forecast weather, including whether light (<3m/s) winds are expected and their anticipated direction and whether a temperature inversion is likely in the subsequent 24 hours. Based on the above, whether the Noise Management Risk Level is low or high. 3. The completed checklist will be passed electronically to all relevant personnel, including the Open Cut Examiner and the Manager of Mining, with the appropriate actions based on the determined Noise Management Risk Level will be implemented. 4. At other times, the real-time noise monitoring equipment will be set to notify the following people by SMS of an exceedance of the preset noise trigger level. Open Cut Examiner. Manager of Mining. Environmental Advisor

25 INTEGRA COAL OPERATIONS PTY LTD NOISE MONITORING PROGRAM This trigger level will be established progressively based on the results of the noise monitoring program. In the event that an SMS notification is received, the Open Cut Examiner will investigate the source of the noise emissions. If it is determined that the source of the noise emissions is within the Mine Site, measures will be implemented to reduce those noise emissions. These measures may include the following. replacing noisy equipment with less noisy equipment. relocating some activities to other sections of the Mine Site. ceasing some activities. 5.3 Attended Monitoring Program Introduction Attended noise monitoring involves the measurement of noise levels whilst, as the name suggests, the monitoring equipment is attended by a professional person experienced in monitoring noise. This allows the person to record not only the noise levels received at the monitoring location, but identify the source of the noise, particularly louder noises which may otherwise skew the results. The attended monitoring approach described, reflects the general objectives of the Industrial Noise Policy (Chapter 11 Reviewing Performance). This attended monitoring program has been designed to build on that currently being implemented for the existing Integra operations Monitoring Locations Initially, attended monitoring will be conducted for a period of 15 minutes within 30m of the residences identified in Table N9. Figure N3 identifies the location of each of these residences. Table N8 also identifies the Noise Assessment Group for which the residence to be monitored is considered to be representative and whether the residence and Noise Assessment Group is predicted to be within the noise management zone (maximum predicted exceedances of <5dB(A)) or noise affectation zone (maximum predicted exceedances of >5dB(A)). Noise Assessment Group Table N9 Noise Monitoring Locations Attended Monitoring Location/Residence Noise Zone Initial Real-Time Monitoring Location A (North) A (South) 11 Management - B C D E F G H Note 1: All residences within Noise Assessment Group B are Project-related.

26 NOISE MONITORING PROGRAM INTEGRA COAL OPERATIONS PTY LTD In addition, Integra would undertake attended noise monitoring in response to any noiserelated complaint in accordance with the procedure identified in Section Monitoring Frequency To assess compliance with the noise level criteria outlined in Conditions 3(2) to 3(6) (see Section 3.1), Integra will conduct the attended noise monitoring at the monitoring locations presented in Table N9 on a quarterly basis, for the first 12 months of operation, with the frequency and locations of attended noise monitoring to be reviewed after 12 months in consultation with the Department of Planning, Department of Environment and Climate Change and the Community Consultative Committee Period to Which this Program is Relevant Monitoring at each location presented in Table N9 will take place for the duration of the mining operation unless: the land on which the monitoring location is located is acquired by Integra, ie. it becomes a project-related residence; the land on which the monitoring location is located is acquired by another mining company or a public authority; or measured noise levels remain below noise criteria for an extended period and suspension of monitoring at this point is mutually agreed to by the landowner, DECC, DoP and Integra. In the event that a noise monitoring location is acquired by Integra Coal Operations, another mining company or a public authority, the monitoring location would be relocated to an alternative, representative residence within the same Noise Assessment Group, subject to landholder agreement. Should all mining operations operated by Integra cease temporarily, eg. due to changes in market demand, noise monitoring may be suspended until the recommencement of operations Instrumentation and Measurement Parameters Attended Noise Surveys All acoustic instrumentation employed throughout the attended noise monitoring program will comply with the requirements of AS , Acoustics-Sound Level Meters Integrating- Averaging, and will carry current NATA or manufacturer calibration certificates. Instrument calibration will be checked before and after each measurement survey, with the variation in calibrated levels not exceeding ±0.5 dba.

27 INTEGRA COAL OPERATIONS PTY LTD NOISE MONITORING PROGRAM Technical terms used in this program are defined as follows. L AN (period) - statistical noise levels exceeded for N% of the interval period. L A90 (period) - the noise level exceeded for 90% of the interval period and is referred to as the background noise level. L A10 (period) - is the level exceeded for 10% of the period, and is usually referred to as the intrusive noise level. L Aeq (period) - the equivalent continuous sound pressure level for the period and represents the steady sound level which is equal in energy to the fluctuating level over the interval period. L Amax - the maximum noise level recorded over the period. As appropriate, for assessment against the noise criteria, the person measuring the noise ( the operator ) will record the maximum (L Amax ), intrusive noise (L A10 ) and the energy equivalent (L Aeq ) noise level attributable to both the mining and processing operations over a measurement period of at least 15 minutes Weather Monitoring Instrumentation All noise measurements will be accompanied by both a qualitative description (including cloud cover) and quantitative meteorological data drawn from the on-site weather station of prevailing local weather conditions occurring during the survey period. Meteorological measurements will be guided by the requirements of AS Ambient Air-Guide for Measurements of Horizontal Wind for Air Quality Applications and the DECC. The nearby Integra Meteorological Station is programmed to continuously record the meteorological parameters as shown in Table N10. Table N10 Meteorological Measurement Parameters Measured Parameter Unit Sample Interval Average Temperature Degrees Average Relative Humidity Percent Rainfall (10minute) mm Aggregate rainfall mm Average wind speed km/hr 10 minute Std wind speed Km/hr Average wind direction Degrees Sigma Theta Degrees Attended Monitoring Procedures A suitably experienced acoustic consultancy or technician will be commissioned to undertake the noise monitoring, with exact monitoring procedures to be developed by this consultancy in consultation with Integra.

28 NOISE MONITORING PROGRAM INTEGRA COAL OPERATIONS PTY LTD Notwithstanding the above, the monitoring procedures will be conducted generally in accordance with the following. As appropriate, all noise investigations will be carried out in accordance with NSW DECC s Industrial Noise Policy, 2000 (INP), Environmental Noise Control Manual (ENCM) and applicable Australian Standards. Noise levels will be measured in one-third octave bands using an instrument with IEC Type 1 characteristics as defined in AS Acoustics-Sound Level Meters Integrating-Averaging. The instrument will have current calibration as per manufacturer s instructions and field calibration will be confirmed before and after measurements with a sound level calibrator. The instrument will be set to A-weighting, fast response and measurements of L Aeq(15 minute) will be taken at each location identified in Table N9 and at the realtime monitoring site, should that site not correspond to a site not identified in Table N9. The noise monitoring will be conducted during the approved hours of operation with at least two measurement periods, one each during the day and evening. Field notes will be taken during each measurement period recording the time and duration of noise events, noise sources, instantaneous noise levels and the frequency range of identified site noise sources. Where an obvious noise exceedance is detected, the consultant / technician will notify the Open Cut Examiner of the exceedance and obtain relevant information as to the possible source of the exceedance, ie. malfunctioning equipment, additional activity contributing to noise levels, etc. to ensure appropriate reporting and to facilitate action on the exceedance. Extraneous noise sources will be filtered from the measured signal and the L Aeq(15-minute) level attributable to the mine activities will be identified and compared with the relevant criteria. Details regarding plant operation, survey interval, weather conditions, extraneous noise sources, monitoring locations and times of measurement will be recorded for inclusion in the noise monitoring report. Data recorded during the period of attended noise monitoring, will be assessed against the data collected by the real-time monitor during the same period, and used to review the appropriateness of the real-time logger data. 5.4 Complaint (Noise Affectation) Generated Monitoring Introduction In conjunction with the real-time noise monitoring, the attended noise monitoring program has been designed to provide a record of noise emissions from the mine at the locations considered to be the most affected residential locations within each Noise Management Group surrounding the Mine Site. It is acknowledged that due to the periodic nature of the attended noise monitoring and and variability of sound directions, it is possible that noise emissions at the monitoring locations, or

29 INTEGRA COAL OPERATIONS PTY LTD NOISE MONITORING PROGRAM other residential receivers, may be subject to irregular or infrequent noise levels that exceed the noise impact assessment criteria identified in Table N3 or land acquisition criteria identified in Table N4. The following sections describe Integra's noise complaint management procedure along with a description of the complaint generated monitoring that would be undertaken in the event that the complaint is deemed to be legitimate Noise Complaint Management Strategy Integra Open Cut operates a 24-hour environmental complaints hotline ( ). In relation to a complaint pertaining to noise levels, the following information is to be recorded. The date and time of complaint. The method by which the complaint was made. Any personal details of the complainant which were provided by the complainant or, if no such details were provided, a note to that effect. The nature of the complaint, including details as to the approximate time and source (if known). The action taken by Integra in relation to the complaint, including any follow-up contact with the complainant. If no action was taken by Integra, the reason why no action was taken. Responses to any legitimate noise complaints will include the following: The noise source that has caused the complaint will be identified through consultation with the complainant, observation and/or by conducting a noise survey to quantify the level of disturbance. The operational practices and mitigation techniques employed at the Mine Site will be investigated to assess the opportunity and / or feasibility to reduce the impact of the noise source in question. Particular attention will be given to the scheduling of noisy activities and the location of noise generating operations used on site. Following the modification of operational practices and / or adaptation of any additional noise mitigation measures, a further noise survey will be conducted at the complainant s residence (as part of Integra's quarterly attended monitoring program) to verify that the mitigation strategy has been successful. In the event the noise complaint refers to ongoing or sustained noise levels considered by the complainant to be unacceptable, and which exceedance of noise affectation criteria (of Condition 3(3)) cannot be discounted through reference to real-time or attended noise monitoring, Integra would initiate additional attended and unattended noise monitoring at the nominated location Attended Noise Monitoring - Complaint Response The monitoring procedures implemented would be the same as presented in Section

30 NOISE MONITORING PROGRAM INTEGRA COAL OPERATIONS PTY LTD Unattended Noise Monitoring - Complaint Response In the event that the mitigation measures implemented by Integra in relation to noise-related complaints do not achieve the desired noise reduction, unattended noise monitoring would be undertaken. During such monitoring, a noise logging device will be established at the complainant s residence and a noise survey conducted as follows. An IEC Type 1 noise logger with current calibration as per manufacturer s instructions will be used. The logger will be placed so that it coincides with a measurement location for the attended survey. The microphone will be fitted with a matching wind shield and will not be placed under trees or near an extraneous noise source (eg, pool pumps or electrical transformers). Levels will be measured continuously over a 7-day period at 15-minute statistical intervals. Noise percentiles recorded shall include L Amax, L Aeq, L A1, L A10, L A90 and L Amin. Weather data for the unattended noise monitoring period will be interrogated to determine periods of rain or wind speeds over 5m/s. Corresponding noise data will either be deleted or otherwise highlighted as invalid. The 7-day logged data will then be collected, processed in accordance with the INP, and presented graphically to highlight periods (if any) of criterion exceedance. This data would be compared with a record of operations within the North Open Cut during the time of the unattended noise assessment. The results of the unattended noise survey(s) will be reviewed and reported in accordance with the Noise Monitoring Protocol. 6 NOISE MONITORING PROTOCOL 6.1 Recording and Reporting Noise Monitoring Results Real-time Noise Monitoring The Environmental Advisor will prepare a monthly summary of the results of the real-time noise monitoring program for internal reporting purposes. This report will include; a description of the number of days that each Noise Management Risk Level was implemented; the number of days that the noise trigger level was exceeded, the cause of the exceedance and, where required, the actions implemented in each case. A summary of the above information will be provided quarterly on Integra s website and annually in the AEMR Attended and Unattended Noise Monitoring Following the completion of each quarterly attended monitoring survey, the acoustic consultant / technician will prepare a monitoring report.