Springvale Water Treatment Facility Modification

248175

CENTENNIAL SPRINGVALE

New South Wales 2264

26/03/2025

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FULLY SUPPORT MOD11

248227

New South Wales 2066

26/03/2025

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The Springvale Water Treatment Facility (WTF) is an important part of the overall infrastructure of Springvale Mine and Mt Piper Power Station. Springvale Mine has a natural water make which needs to be dealt with but the Mine's lack of environmental discharge means that it is reliant on the WTF. Given that there are times when the WTF is not able to accept water from the Mine, the Mine needs alternative water treatment solutions. Allowing water to be sent to Thompsons Creek Reservoir when the WTF cannot accept water provides a realistic solution to allow the Springvale Mine and the Mt Piper Power Station to keep functioning efficiently. Not only will this have positive effects on the regional economy in the Lithgow region, it is important to energy security for New South Wales.

248123

New South Wales 2322

26/03/2025

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The IPC should approve the proposed modification, as it has minimal environmental impacts, and is critical to the energy security of New South Wales. Without the modification, there is a real possibility of shortage of coal to feed the Mt Piper Power Station, resulting in lower-than-expected power generation, spikes in energy prices for consumers, and a signification possibility of an unstable grid. This would be to the detriment of both the NSW economy and wider community. It is important, now more than ever, that NSW has a stable energy supply, with reliable base load generation.

248305

New South Wales 2795

26/03/2025

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This uses existing infrastructure to all the continuation of operations at Springvale mine which helps secure our states energy supply

248165

New South Wales 2000

26/03/2025

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This project is very important to support the energy security for the state of NSW as the coal will be used to power the newest baseload power station in the NSW fleet. In addition, it will be essential to underpin Australia's energy transition to 2050.

248328

New South Wales 2283

26/03/2025

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I am making a submission that supports the conditional approval of this proposed development

248665

New South Wales 2264

26/03/2025

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"I support the proposed modification to the Springvale Water Treatment Project (SWTP). With the upcoming MPPS outage, this modification is necessary to keep mine dewatering on track and avoid operational disruptions. MPPS plays a vital role in energy supply, and its reliable operation is essential for maintaining grid stability. Any disruption to coal supply from Springvale Mine could impact power generation capacity, particularly at a time when energy security is critical. By ensuring continued mine dewatering, this modification helps prevent potential setbacks in coal supply and supports the uninterrupted operation of MPPS. The Department's assessment confirms there won't be any long-term negative impacts on water quality, and the predicted changes are within normal historical levels. The proposed management measures will help minimize any potential risks. Since this modification is crucial for keeping SWTP and MPPS running smoothly and supporting critical energy supply, I encourage its approval in the public interest."

248120

Redacted

26/03/2025

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"The project is a crucial modification to allow treated mine water to be sent to Thompsons Creek Reservoir during outages at Mount Piper Power Station (MPPS). Without this Modification Centennial will be forced to store water within their underground mines which will have detrimental impacts on coal supply now and in the future. Coal supply from Centennial to MPPS underpins the regional economy and energy security in NSW."

248131

New South Wales 2291

26/03/2025

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"Without this Modification Centennial will be forced to store water within their underground mines which will have detrimental impacts on coal supply now and in the future. Coal supply from Centennial to MPPS underpins the regional economy and energy security in NSW."

248121

New South Wales 2287

26/03/2025

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"The SWTP Mod 11 modification is a crucial project that will allow treated mine water to be sent to Thompsons Creek Reservoir during outages at Mount Piper Power Station (MPPS). This modification is not just a technical fix it's essential for keeping Centennial's operations running smoothly and ensuring the region's energy supply remains secure. Without this change, Centennial will have no choice but to store excess water in its underground mines. This could cause major issues, potentially disrupting the coal supply, which is vital to MPPS and the local economy. The impacts would be felt not just by Centennial but by the entire energy system in New South Wales. The coal Centennial provides to Mount Piper Power Station is key to the state's energy security and the economic health of the region. It powers homes, businesses, and industries, supporting jobs and local growth. Keeping that supply steady is critical for everyone in the area. Approving the SWTP Mod 11 modification is a no-brainer if we want to ensure that energy keeps flowing and that Centennial can continue to meet the demands of the power station. We fully support the approval of this project and urge quick action to make sure the region's energy and economy stay on track."

248675

New South Wales 2790

26/03/2025

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This project is important to the ongoing safety and employment of workers at both Springvale and Angus Place mines

248703

New South Wales 2795

26/03/2025

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"The proposed modification will support ongoing employment and economic opportunities in the district by supporting water management at both Mount Piper Power station and the coal mines which supply it. It is also of upmost importance that stable energy supply is maintained by supporting these local operations."

248138

New South Wales 2847

26/03/2025

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I fully support the placement of treated mine water to Thompson Creek Dam.

248732

New South Wales 2795

26/03/2025

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I support the application

248153

New South Wales 2303

26/03/2025

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"I am writing to express my support for the Springvale Water Treatment Plant Modification (Mod 11). As an employee of Centennial, I am aware of the importance of this modification for both our company and the broader community. The modification is essential for ensuring that treated mine water can be directed to Thompsons Creek Reservoir during outages at Mount Piper Power Station (MPPS). Without this change, Centennial would face the need to store water within our underground mines, which could have significant and detrimental effects on coal supply. The stability and long-term viability of the coal supply to MPPS are of significant importance for maintaining energy security and supporting the regional economy in New South Wales. This modification is also critical in securing a sustainable future for both Centennial and the wider community. As someone who works directly with the company, I can attest to how the success of this project will support our ongoing operations and contribute to the regional economic stability."

248674

Redacted

26/03/2025

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The project is a crucial modification i think.

248127

New South Wales 2320

26/03/2025

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Water management in key ecological footprints is critical to the ongoing balance between industry (jobs, economic output, energy security) and the environment, I believe this modification helps secure this balance.

248179

New South Wales 2847

26/03/2025

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Without this Modification, Centennial will be forced to store additional mine water in their underground workings, having a detrimental impact on future coal reserves and the companies' ability with provide product coal to MPPS for the region's future energy security. The modification provides a temporary solution allowing Springvale to send partially treated mine water into Thompsons Creek Reservoir during outages at Mount Piper Power Station (MPPS), until normal operations can re-commence.

248666

New South Wales 2264

26/03/2025

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Website

"The project is a crucial modification to allow treated mine water to be sent to Thompsons Creek Reservoir during outages at Mount Piper Power Station (MPPS). Without this Modification Centennial will be forced to store water within their underground mines which will have detrimental impacts on coal supply now and in the future. Coal supply from Centennial to MPPS underpins the regional economy and energy security in NSW."

248714

New South Wales 2290

26/03/2025

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We need to support industry in the region and in our state. Energy security is also very important.

248180

New South Wales 2291

26/03/2025

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I support the proposed application. The environmental impacts have been considered and minimised. This supports the regions key employers.

248820

New South Wales 2261

26/03/2025

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"The project is a crucial modification to allow treated mine water to be sent to Thompsons Creek Reservoir during outages at Mount Piper Power Station (MPPS). Without this Modification Centennial will be forced to store water within their underground mines which will have detrimental impacts on coal supply now and in the future. Coal supply from Centennial to MPPS underpins the regional economy and energy security in NSW."

248133

New South Wales 2790

26/03/2025

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This is critical to support energy supply of NSW and directly affects me and my family and the water quality has been proven to be better than drinking water quality

248152

New South Wales 2290

26/03/2025

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This modification will ensure the future of people employed at the mine and other parties that will benefit from on-going activities at the mine. This mine is important to the state as it supplies energy to the power generator.

248130

Redacted

26/03/2025

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I support this project.

248161

New South Wales 2790

26/03/2025

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"I support the Springvale Water Treatment Facility Modification. It is crucial that treated mine water is allowed to be distributed during outages at Mount Piper Power Station, in this case it is required to be distributed to the nearby Thompsons Creek Reservoir. If Centennial is unable to send this water to Thompsons Creek Reservoir, it will be forced to store it underground in locations that will negatively impact coal supply for domestic electricity generation on an irreversible and extremely detrimental magnitude. I support the Springvale Water Treatment Facility Modification."

248135

New South Wales 2264

26/03/2025

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Approval of this proposal will help ensure the future of hundreds of local mine employees and their families. Which will continue to have a positive flow on effect to other businesses and families in the area.

248169

New South Wales 2790

26/03/2025

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I make this submission on my behalf as an employee of Centennial Coal. This project will provide longevity and certainty to the long-term supply of coal to Mt Piper Power Station and security for the hundreds of direct employees and thousands of indirect employees in the local community. Centennial Coal are a long-term supporter of the local community in many facets and this project will guarantee that their support will continue.

248154

Redacted

26/03/2025

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Website

I am in support of the modification, without this Modification Centennial will be forced to store water within their underground mines which will have detrimental impacts on coal supply now and in the future.

248134

Centennial Coal

New South Wales 2281

26/03/2025

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"I fully support this modification, as I am acutely aware of the value of the continued operation of industries in the Lithgow district and the importance of maintaining all infrastructure associated with the electricity generation in NSW / Eastern seaboard. I am concerned that a failure to approve this modification may have consequences for the associated infrastructure. I also believe any potential impact from these activities are negligible in nature."

248145

New South Wales 2283

26/03/2025

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As a member of the community I support this application as it will allow continued and efficient operation of mine to provide fuel for the power station. In addition this development will support the reliable supply of power to the state.

247171

New South Wales 2786

26/03/2025

Object

Website

"Report Opposing Centennial Coal's Applications to Release Water into the Greater Blue Mountains UNESCO National Park 1. Introduction The purpose of this report is to outline the reasons for opposing Centennial Coal's applications to release water into the Greater Blue Mountains UNESCO National Park. The proposed discharges pose significant environmental, ecological, and public health risks, which contradict both national and international conservation commitments. 2. Environmental and Ecological Concerns 2.1 Water Contamination The release of water from coal mining operations is likely to contain heavy metals, saline effluents, and other pollutants that can degrade water quality. Studies have shown that mine-affected water can contain elevated levels of arsenic, lead, and selenium, which are toxic to aquatic life and can accumulate in the food chain. 2.2 Impact on Aquatic Ecosystems The Greater Blue Mountains region supports a range of unique aquatic ecosystems, including critical freshwater habitats for endangered species such as the Macquarie perch and the Blue Mountains water skink. The introduction of contaminants can alter pH levels, reduce oxygen availability, and introduce harmful algae blooms, endangering native species. 2.3 Hydrological Disruptions The region's natural watercourses, including creeks and rivers that sustain both flora and fauna, rely on balanced water flow and quality. The release of mine-affected water could alter flow patterns, leading to erosion, sedimentation, and long-term ecosystem imbalance. 3. Legal and Policy Violations 3.1 Breach of UNESCO Commitments The Greater Blue Mountains was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its outstanding universal value. Approving Centennial Coal's proposal would contradict Australia's obligations under the World Heritage Convention, which mandates the protection and conservation of listed sites. 3.2 Contravention of State and Federal Environmental Laws The release of mine wastewater could violate the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act 1999, the NSW Protection of the Environment Operations Act 1997, and water quality guidelines set by the National Water Quality Management Strategy. 4. Community and Public Health Impacts 4.1 Drinking Water Contamination The Greater Blue Mountains region contributes to Sydney's water catchment, supplying drinking water to millions of people. Pollution from mine water releases increases the risk of contamination, which could necessitate costly treatment measures or result in health hazards. 4.2 Cultural and Recreational Value The park is an important cultural and recreational site for Indigenous communities, tourists, and local residents. Water pollution could damage culturally significant sites, deter tourism, and reduce the park's aesthetic and recreational appeal. 5. Conclusion and Recommendations Based on the outlined environmental, legal, and public health risks, Centennial Coal's applications to release water into the Greater Blue Mountains UNESCO National Park should be rejected. Recommendations: -Centennial Coal should be required to implement onsite water treatment solutions to meet the highest environmental standards before any discharge is considered. - Independent scientific assessments should be conducted to evaluate long-term impacts on biodiversity and water quality. -The NSW Government should reinforce its commitment to protecting World Heritage-listed sites by strengthening regulatory frameworks that prohibit mining wastewater discharge into sensitive ecosystems. Protecting the integrity of the Greater Blue Mountains National Park is a national and global responsibility. Rejecting Centennial Coal's application aligns with Australia's environmental commitments and ensures the preservation of this unique and irreplaceable landscape for future generations."

ReportOpposingCentennialCoal.pdf (PDF, 126.65 KB)

248608

Bathurst Community Climate Action Network

New South Wales 2795

26/03/2025

Object

Website

"Bathurst Community Climate Action Network (BCCAN) is a group of concerned citizens aiming to promote sustainable care for our environment. BCCAN has written a prior submission, whose contents we will not repeat here. We have now sourced further information regarding the impacts of mining wastewater on water quality, which is examined here. In July 2018, Dr Ian Wright wrote on this concern in The Conversation. Direct quotes, in order from the article, are below: -The Auditor-General's report found that the NSW Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was not effectively regulating water pollution in drinking water catchments. The report mentioned WaterNSW, which is the authority that supplies the majority of Sydney's water needs. The report concluded that responsible bodies like the EPA and WaterNSW need to work together more effectively to protect Sydney's water from pollution. - One of the issues an independent triennial review of Sydney's water supply identified was rising salinity in Warragamba Dam. - Coal mines in the Warragamba catchment are a major source of salinity. The Springvale mine is the largest, and it disposes a large volume of wastewater to the catchment. I [Wright] have been very concerned about the impact of this coal mine discharge on water quality for many years. -The Springvale mine's current discharge licence permits more than 10 Olympic swimming pools of saline waste water to be released daily into the Warragamba catchment. The waste water from Springvale has a salinity level eight times higher than that of Warragamba Dam. - The NSW Auditor-General's report found serious issues in how the EPA manages water pollution in Sydney's drinking water catchments. For example, much of the data used by the EPA was self-reported by industry sources. A 2019 article by Belmer and Wright² in Water and Environment Journal had as the key question posed for this investigation: does surface water quality change due to the discharge of coal mine waste water from a regional group of active compared to inactive coal mines? The second question was: how well do the EPA discharge licences match with the ecologically hazardous pollutants in each mine discharge, or in the waste receiving river/stream downstream of the mine discharge point? As detailed in the above article, Belmer and Wright made six sampling visits to three sites in Springvale Creek and Sawyers Swamp, all of them upstream of mine water discharges, to measure many water chemical attributes and major anions. They compared these samples to readings taken in waterways downstream of mines. Here we give their results of one major indicator, being salinity, measured in µS/cm. Upstream in Springvale Creek was found EC (µS/cm) averaging 53.6 (range 38.3“84.8); Nearby Angus Place upstream averaged 42.8 (range 19.5“88.3 µS/cm) and upstream of Sawyers Swamp averaged 35.7 (range 29.245.3 µS/cm). In contrast, downstream of minewater discharges in Springvale Creek salinity averaged 840.2 µS/cm (ranging between 471–985) and downstream of Sawyers Swamp averaged 1162.4 (range 1113“1226 µS/cm). To reiterate, that is a combined average of 44.0 µS/cm upstream, and a combined average of 1001.3 µS/cm downstream of discharges: a dramatic increase of 22.7 times. Belmer and Wright made four conclusions, two of which are included here: “1) Both active and closed coal mines can both modify downstream water quality and generate pollutant concentrations that are hazardous to the receiving river and stream ecosystems. (3) Tighter and consistent environmental regulations are needed to reduce pollutants that are hazardous to river and stream ecosystems (particularly salinity, zinc and nickel) in waste discharges from coal mines. How long has this been happening? What is the cumulative impact of mine wastewater discharges? To increase the salinity in Thomsons Creek Dam (TCD) as Centennial requests would surely further degrade that storage's ecosystem. Going by prior experience, there is the possibility of future discharges from TCD into the Coxs River and onto the Warragamba Dam. These discharges have been polluting the downstream environment, including extending to Warragamba Dam, for many years. Although the salinity concentration perhaps decreases with dilution from other inflow sources on the way to Warragamba Dam, as Springvale mine is the main source of this salinity (as assessed by Wright) no loosening of standards should be allowed. Any temporary elevation of salinity in TCD should have a requirement for water to be treated prior to discharge. We note the above recordings of Belmer and Wright's six sampling visits to upstream watershed sites, and believe that these water chemical attributes and major anions levels should be looked at as the basis on which normal discharge concentration requirements into the Coxs River be set. Thank you for the opportunity to make this submission. References: ¹ Ian A Wright (July 11, 2018) Better boil ya billy The Conversation https://theconversation.com/better-boil-ya-billy-when-australian-water-goes-bad-99451#:~:text=Boil%20water%20alerts%20indicate%20that,managed%20by%20simply%20boiling%20it. ² Belmer, N & Wright, I.A. (2019) The regulation and impact of eight Australian coal mine waste water discharges on downstream river water quality: a regional comparison of active versus closed mines Water and Environment Journal"

Betterboilyabilly.pdf (PDF, 284.43 KB)

BelmerandWright8minesWQ-1.pdf (PDF, 733.93 KB)

247707

Wilderness Australia

New South Wales 2780

26/03/2025

Object

Website

"Independent Planning Commission Suite 15.02, 135 King Street SYDNEY NSW 2000 To whom it may concern, Please find attached Wilderness Australia's submission to the IPC regarding proposed Modification 11 for SSD-7592, the Springvale Water Treatment Plant. I foreshadow a short Powerpoint presentation that I shall upload tomorrow that summarises this submission for my presentation to Commissioners, if that is acceptable. Yours sincerely, Keith Muir"

WildernessAustIPCsubmission-SSD-7592Mod11asamended_edited.pdf (PDF, 440.1 KB)

248886

Nature Conservation Council of NSW

New South Wales 2000

26/03/2025

Object

Website

"Dear Prof Menzies, Please find NCC's submission in relation to SSD-7592 MOD 11, as amended on 4 March 2025. Best wishes, Jacqui"

NCCSubmissiontoIPCSSD-7592MOD11 redacted.pdf (PDF, 1.41 MB)

247813

Wilderness Australia

New South Wales 2780

26/03/2025

Object

Website

"Independent Planning Commission Suite 15.02, 135 King Street SYDNEY NSW 2000 To whom it may concern, Please find attached a powerpoint slide set for Wilderness Australia's presentation on Modification 11 to SSD-7592 to the Commission tomorrow at 9.30am. Please accept this presentation. It was not possible to compile this presentation before incorporation of information gained from the IPC site inspection and a briefing meeting on Mod 11 by EnergyAustralia on Monday 17 March 2025. Sincerely, Keith Muir"

SWTPMod11presentation.pdf (PDF, 1.39 MB)

456

Blue Mountains Conservation Society

New South Wales 2782

24/03/2025

Comment

Email

To whom it may concern Please find the Society's submission on the above topic Yours sincerely Madi Maclean National Parks Officer and Second Vice President Blue Mountains Conservation Society

Blue Mountains Conservation Society_Redacted.pdf (PDF, 208.17 KB)