Fear in the air at coal dust menace

Coal terminal on Fisherman's Island, Port of Brisbane. Picture: Mark Calleja Source: The Courier-Mail

RESIDENTS living downwind of a mountain of uncovered coal at the Port of Brisbane are facing similar concerns about dust emissions as people living along Brisbane's urban rail corridor.

Tests conducted for The Courier-Mail by scientists at the University of Queensland confirm coal is being blown on and into homes located more than 4km from Brisbane's growing coal stockpiles.

Since 2003, the stockpile at the port facility operated by Queensland Bulk Handling has almost tripled in size, from 397,000 to 900,000 tonnes.

Tests under a scanning electron microscope found coal comprised 40 per cent of the black residue scraped from Angela Burns's front door along Wynnum North Esplanade.

Suffering asthma and a lung condition, Ms Burns, the widow of former deputy premier and local member Tom Burns, said she was not surprised to learn the truth about the irritating "oily" black dust that stained her furniture.

"It's very bad for health, I'm not very happy about it floating around," Ms Burns said. "It does get inside the house."

Testing also confirmed a sample taken from inside the Wynnum home of the Scurr family on Constellation Way contained 20 per cent coal.

The Scurrs' house is in a direct line south of the coal stockpile at the port, and close to the rail link.

Coal terminal on Fisherman's Island, Port of Brisbane. Picture: Mark Calleja

Shane Scurr and his eldest son have suffered asthma attacks after moving there from Nambour, including one so severe it required the ambulance officer to give oxygen.

Port general manager for trade services Peter Keyte said "coal dust does not present an issue" at the Port of Brisbane, citing "the results of long-term monitoring" he declined to release.

"The port is committed to working with supply chain participants - Aurizon (formerly QR National), Queensland Rail, Queensland Bulk Handling and the coal companies - to ensure the most effective dust mitigation measures," Mr Keyte said.

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The Courier-Mail also conducted testing along the urban rail corridor.

Samples included another reading of 40 per cent coal dust from a rainwater tank in Annerley.

Jacqueline Schneider's home sits near the tracks, where up to 13 trains a day travel from Darling Downs coalmines hauling coal to Fisherman Islands.

RUMBLING THROUGH THE SUBURBS: The number of coal trains passing through dozens of suburbs in Brisbane, Ipswich and Toowoomba could double under the Port of Brisbane's long-term plan to expand coal exports from Fisherman's Island.

"My God, that's just amazing, isn't it? Good grief," Ms Schneider said, learning of the test results.

She said the cumulative exposure to the coal dust worried her the most.

"I don't smoke because it's unhealthy. You do everything to protect your health, but this is something you can't do something about."

Public health experts and some doctors say coal dust presents a proven health hazard. Large coal particles harm the upper respiratory systems of vulnerable populations, such as asthma sufferers, while tiny particles inhaled deeply into the body increase the likelihood of long-term lung and heart disease.

The state's peak coal body, the Queensland Resources Council, said Darling Downs coalmines would start spraying adhesive veneer on coal train wagons moving through Brisbane from late March to reduce emissions.

The QRC had no comment on coal dust being detected at people's homes, saying it was awaiting the results of state air monitoring tests in Tennyson.

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JUDGE: Breakaway MP says all-clear in coal report a "convenient truth"

The Courier-Mail did spot checks over several days in suburbs where residents had complained about black dust: Tennyson, Annerley, Coorparoo, Wynnum and Manly.

Of 13 samples collected, the University of Queensland detected eight that contained coal, which has distinct properties under the electron microscope. An interior sample taken from a Coorparoo unit where a girl with cystic fibrosis lives contained trace coal, but also fungus.

Queensland Health officials did not think coal dust concentrations were high enough to create a public risk, citing the results of continuous monitoring stations throughout the city. But they acknowledged coal dust was a nuisance that should be mitigated.

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