Kalgoorlie Air Quality Control (AQC) SO2 Monitoring and Maintenance

To provide ongoing support to the Kalgoorlie Air Monitoring Network (KAMN) for all maintenance and monitoring of the ten Air Quality Control (AQC) huts located within the Kalgoorlie region. Each station monitors and records critical data (using sophisticated instrumentation and networking infrastructure) pertaining to SO₂ levels, dust, noise and vibration-related byproducts from mining operations within the region. This data is used to ensure compliance with mining licenses and environmental standards and regulations.

Background

In 1989 the ‘Environmental Protection (Goldfield Residential Areas) (Sulfur Dioxide) Policy’ (EPP) was developed by the EPA and legislated in order to manage and control impacts from industry emissions in the Kalgoorlie region.  In response to the introduction of the EPP, the Kalgoorlie Air Monitoring Network (KAMN) was formed.  KAMN comprised Kalgoorlie Consolidated Gold Mines (KCGM), Northern Star Resources (NSR) – Kanowna Belle and the Kalgoorlie Nickel Smelter and Concentrator (NKK).

Since the creation of the KAMN, KCGM has provided the ongoing support to maintain the SO₂ monitoring system and associated infrastructure on behalf of the other partners. On May 2, 2015, the KCGM-owned Gidji Roaster was decommissioned. No longer considered a major contributor of SO₂ within the Kalgoorlie region, KCGM exited the KAMN and handed the maintenance of the system to NSR and NKK to operate the KAMN equally.

The KAMN partnership decided to outsource the support for ongoing maintenance of the SO₂ monitoring system to Fields Contracting Engineers on May 1, 2015, due to past experience with and technical knowledge of the KAMN network layout and infrastructure. The scope of work for maintaining the system is outlined below.

FCEng Scope

• Monthly calibrations of SO₂ analyser equipment at ten SO₂ Monitoring Huts at various locations around the Kalgoorlie region. These huts include:

• 1. Kalgoorlie Airport (AIR)
  2. Boulder Shire Yard (BSY)
  3. Coolgardie (COO)
  4. Hannans Golf Course (HGC)
  5. Kalgoorlie Council Yard (KCY)
  6. Kalgoorlie Regional Hospital (KRH)
  7. Kambalda (KAM)
  8. Kurrawang Aboriginal Christian Community (KUR)
  9. Metals Exploration Yard (MEX)
  10. Westrail Freight Yard (WFY)

• Daily data checks of the SO₂ data and associated monitoring paramters (e.g. hut temperatures)
• Network communication checks including maintenance of data loggers, modems, routers and switches, as well as maintenance on the main hut server hardware and software.
• Breakdown and callout support.

Project Summary

The monitoring and maintenance of the Kalgoorlie AQC system is an ongoing support project for Fields Contracting Engineers. We have already introduced some improved tools for data collection and maintenance, as well as improved reliability strategies to minimise system down-time and failures. Fields will continue to provide maintenance services and support for the AQC system on behalf of our client until no longer required.