As the release of the Clean and Healthy Air for Gladstone (CHAG) report draws nearer, I often hear concerns expressed about dust in Gladstone. The fact that this issue has been debated for many years shows that dust is a challenging issue in Gladstone.

Dust can come from many sources, both natural and manmade. Dust can have health impacts or can be a nuisance that impacts the liveability of our area. As a result the final CHAG report will carefully examine the level and sources of dust and its potential health impacts. 

While Gladstone Industry Leadership Group (GILG) members wait for this information, they have accepted their responsibility to look for ways to reduce the dust from their sites.

One way GILG members are doing their bit is through the Clean and Healthy Air Management Program (CHAMP) initiative that was launched last year. CHAMP encourages industry employees to come up with ideas to reduce industry emissions and have so far collected over 150 ideas. As dust is a concern for industry employees as well as for the community in which they live, many of the CHAMP ideas are about dust reduction.

I have previously covered the CHAMP ideas to reduce dust from industrial processes. The team at Rio Tinto Alcan Yarwun has built on this and also begun to implement a number of ideas to reduce general site dust. These ideas not only make their site look better, they also make it a better place to work.

Some of the very visible improvements that will be completed later this month include laying concrete or ballast on unsealed areas, the construction of vehicle ramps and pedestrian crossings and the planting of native plant gardens. These gardens not only reduce site dust by fixing the soil and slowing the wind, they also capture dust on their leaves.

As the Rio Tinto Alcan Yarwun project manager for these improvements commented, “the projects will not only improve the aesthetics of the area, but help to reduce dust.”

Rio Tinto Alcan general manager, Operations Mike Dunstan said the project was just one of many tipped for the future.

If you have any questions about dust in Gladstone, please go to our forum topic at www.gilg.com.au.

If you would like to have your say online and don't know how, please click on this link which shows you how to register and make a comment, anonymously if you wish, cheers, Kurt.

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