Geraldton Dust Fears Rise with Iron Ore Expansion
Topic: Air Pollution
Dean Parker put up a protest sign outside his shop at Geraldton's Fishermen's Wharf.
In short:
Many people in Geraldton are complaining about dust.
Locals think the dust on their homes and boats is bad for them and comes from the iron ore industry.
State investigators went to Geraldton to talk to people about the dust.
People are worried Geraldton will become like Port Hedland, with a lot of dust from iron ore operations.
Dean Parker says his workplace is always covered in black dust.
Residents are concerned about their health, property, and the impact of mining on their community.
Investigators from the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation visited Geraldton after many dust complaints.
People want the trains to be fully covered to stop the dust from spreading.
The agency is investigating the dust and where it comes from.
Dust on the wind
Many people are noticing more dust around their homes and businesses.
Geraldton's port is near the city center, with trains and roads carrying iron ore near homes, schools, and the hospital.
Two big companies, Karara Mining and Fenix Resources, export iron ore from Geraldton.
Iron ore trains travel 250km to Geraldton Port with their carriages uncovered.
Fenix uses covered trucks, but Karara uses uncovered rail wagons.
Locals say the dust is hard to ignore, especially with strong summer winds.
Costing money
Dean Parker sweeps black dust from his gutters at the Geraldton Fishermen's Harbour.
Dean Parker thinks the dust is magnetite and is damaging his property.
He wants the iron ore trains to be covered.
The dust is also found along railway tracks and is damaging boats and infrastructure.
It feels like they're vandalising our town and not caring.
Peter Bailey says the problem has gotten worse in the past year and his shed is rusting.
Everything seems to be covered in black dust.
We can wash the boats, and the next morning, they're covered in dust again.
The dust is hard to remove and is different from normal dirt-based dust.
Peter Bailey has to resurface his boat sooner because of the black dust.
He's spending $25,000 to resurface one of his boats, which he wouldn't normally do so often.
It's frustrating because someone is responsible for this.
Fishers are washing the dust from their boats to reduce corrosion.
What's in the dust?
Anna Kolosinska says her home is covered in black dust or soot, which she thinks comes from the rail line used by Karara.
Anna Kolosinska says the dust is bad and she cleans her home and car often.
The dust is getting worse, and it's on the floors, windows, and outside.
I wash my car, and the next day, it's covered in dust again.
Geraldton Port is near residential areas.
Ralf Mulks scraped dust from his wall and sent it for laboratory analysis.
The results showed 28% magnetite.
Ralf Mulks is leading a campaign to get people to complain about the dust to the DWER.
Particle size is key
Respiratory physician Scott Claxton says particle size is important for health risks.
The larger the particle, the less distance it can get into your airway.
Scott Claxton says more research is needed on the long-term health impacts of airborne particles.
Substances in dust can still be absorbed into the body as they dissolve in the respiratory system.
It's similar to swallowing it; you'll absorb it if you breathe it in.
More research is needed on long-term exposure to airborne particles near industrial areas.
Grain dust is more likely to cause immediate respiratory irritation.
A lot of grain is exported from Geraldton every year.
Last year, the Mid West Port handled a record 19.1 million tonnes of cargo, mostly iron ore.
A growing port
The port has roughly doubled in size over the past 15 years, mostly due to iron ore.
DWER investigators will examine the dust and find its sources.
The port might expand to 50 million tonnes per year in the future.
Former mayor Shane Van Styn says the growth raises serious questions.
No one thought about this much iron ore and dust coming into a port near a town.
Shane Van Styn supports mining but says the port should share more information with the community.
Port Hedland exports a lot of iron ore and has a big dust problem.
Many homes near the port have been bought back due to dust pollution.
Geraldton's iron ore exports are small compared to Port Hedland, but the industry is growing.
Fenix Resources and Karara Mining have plans to increase their exports.
The port uses a net to contain dust, but strong winds can weaken it.
1970s-style transport
The rail line and roads to the port go through residential areas and past schools and hospitals.
City of Greater Geraldton Mayor Jerry Clune says the port and residents can coexist, but improvements are needed.
We need to balance the economic benefits with the livability of the town.
Some port users are good at controlling dust, but others are not; it's like they're from the 1970s.
Jerry Clune says the council wants more dust monitoring and transparency about the dust.
Mr Clune has seen dust blowing from loaded trains.
On the roads, you'll get fined for an unsecured load, but not on the trains.
Mid West Ports is working with the department investigating dust from rail freight.
The port says it's monitoring dust and has invested in dust-mitigation projects.
Karara transports black magnetite ore in uncovered rail wagons.
The port operates under strict environmental licence conditions.
The minister for environment and Karara Mining did not respond to interview requests.
Kirrilee Warr has asked questions in parliament about Geraldton's dust pollution.
The community is frustrated with the government's silence.
We're hearing about dust from everyone, even from agricultural areas.
Mid West Ports declined an interview but said it had invested in dust mitigation.
Other users
Fenix Resources executive chair John Welborn says the company is upgrading its port facilities to reduce dust.
If Fenix moves to rail, it will use covered wagons.
Two of its wharf sheds are connected to a covered conveyor system, but one shed is not and can generate dust.
John Welborn says Fenix will spend $8 million to connect the remaining shed to the covered conveyor system.
Fenix currently transports iron ore to port by truck but plans to use covered trains.
Dust during ship loading is the port's responsibility and not a major issue.
On concerns about the health impact of inhaling iron ore dust, Mr Welborn says Fenix products are rigorously tested.
Ralf Mulks is leading a campaign to get residents to complain about the dust to the DWER.
There's been a lot of work done on iron oxide, which is the dust created by iron ore.
There's been no link found between iron oxide and negative health impacts.
Watch ABC TV's Landline for more information.
There are concerns about what's entering nearby waterways as fishers wash their boats daily.
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