Existing Air quality Monitoring Data near the Proposed Stacks
Before construction on the New M5 started, there was an air quality monitoring program
to get some air quality baseline figures for the proposed stacks. Most of the monitoring
stations have been decommissioned.
In all the tables with pollution figures, I highlighted everything of concern.
I am using the national air quality standard as a yardstick of whether we should
be concerned or not. This standard is also reflected in the approval conditions.
I am using the following conventions for highlighting reasons for concern:
| Monthly average is higher than yearly target average |
For any
one month, such an occurrence is NOT a breach of the national air quality
standard (unless the level is so extreme that the monthly average also
breaches the 24 hour target). But a pattern of such occurrences can lead
us to conclude that the yearly target has also been breached. |
| Exceedance |
For yearly targets, this is based on the available monthly data.
We don't always have a full 12 months. And in any case, looking at
the reports, there are often quite a few days missing within months.
But the pattern of high monthly figures is often such that it is
obvious that the yearly target was also exceeded.
For daily exceedances, I have gone through the reports to see what
reason was given. In some cases, the reports speculate on regional
events without saying what the event was, based on higher readings
at multiple sites. I am still counting those exceedances as genuine,
because the regional event could have been adverse weather in which
road-based pollutants do not disperse as readily as on other days.
That would still amount to road-based pollution causing the
exceedance. I am counting road construction (only applicable to St Peters)
as road-based pollution.
|
| Probable Exceedance |
For yearly targets, where the monthly data don't cover a whole year,
the average of those months is over the yearly target average
but not by enough to say that the exceedance of the yearly target
is obvious.
|
| Excused Exceedance |
This covers exceedances that are explained by non-road sources.
In all cases, this was hazard reduction burning or bush fire.
|
| No reason given for exceedance nor required to be given |
The approval conditions exempt the project from meeting national air quality targets
during construction and do not require explanations for exceedances. And no explanation
appeared in the reports. This category covers such exceedances.
|
St Peters
Monitoring at St Peters Public School
The air quality monitoring station at St Peters has been continuously operating since 2015,
is still operating and will be operating for at least two years after the New M5 opens.
It is a monitoring station in addition to the ones for which we are discussing locations
at the AQCCC.
| Month |
PM2.5 monthly average, μg/m3 (yearly allowed average is 8) |
PM2.5 highest 24 hours period, μg/m3 (allowed is 25) |
PM10 monthly average, μg/m3 (yearly allowed average is 25) |
PM10 highest 24 hours period, μg/m3 (allowed is 50) |
Highest CO rolling 8 hour average, ppm (allowed is 9) |
Highest NO2 hourly average, ppb (allowed is 120) |
| July, 2015 |
The report states:
"There is no reporting data for the St Peters Public School monitoring site since the site was only
commissioned on 14 July 2015, part way into this reporting period." |
| August, 2015 |
13.6 |
34.5 |
21.8 |
47.3 |
1.0 |
31.0 |
| September, 2015 |
9.3 |
15.6 |
25.3 |
43.6 |
0.7 |
28.0 |
| October, 2015 |
12.2 |
18.1 |
29.4 |
46.0 |
0.6 |
38.6 |
| November, 2015 |
10.0 |
20.7 |
27.6 |
50.1 |
0.6 |
33.2 |
| December, 2015 |
14.5 |
19.0 |
25.1 |
33.7 |
0.7 |
20 |
| January, 2016 |
8.9 |
19.1 |
19.0 |
32.2 |
0.5 |
40.7 |
| February, 2016 |
5.2 |
9.7 |
19.9 |
48.2 |
0.6 |
18.5 |
| March, 2016 |
9.5 |
17.8 |
16.2 |
33.3 |
0.9 |
23.8 |
| April, 2016 |
8.6 |
17.9 |
21.7 |
33.8 |
0.9 |
26.3 |
| May, 2016 |
12.8 |
40.9 |
23.4 |
56.4 |
1.6 |
33.4 |
| June, 2016 |
8.0 |
15.8 |
14.1 |
25.7 |
1.9 |
31.8 |
| July, 2016 |
9.3 |
20.3 |
15.4 |
32.3 |
1.9 |
30.4 |
| August, 2016 |
9.3 |
18.5 |
16.9 |
28.4 |
1.4 |
28.7 |
| September, 2016 |
7.9 |
13.1 |
15.2 |
28.3 |
0.5 |
24.2 |
| October, 2016 |
8.2 |
21.3 |
19.5 |
52.2 |
0.5 |
24.0 |
| November, 2016 |
8.2 |
13.7 |
24.7 |
42.0 |
0.7 |
34.8 |
| December, 2016 |
10.3 |
15.7 |
24.4 |
35.8 |
0.7 |
40.0 |
| January, 2017 |
11.6 |
18.5 |
28.2 |
45.4 |
0.4 |
51.9 |
| February, 2017 |
5.8 |
11.7 |
23.1 |
49.2 |
0.4 |
38.6 |
| March, 2017 |
6.5 |
16.6 |
21.4 |
42.7 |
0.6 |
31.4 |
| April, 2017 |
14.4 |
20.0 |
22.0 |
34.9 |
0.8 |
37.6 |
| May, 2017 |
14.2 |
25.3 |
25.5 |
39.9 |
1.0 |
48.4 |
| June, 2017 |
17.2 |
25.9 |
26.0 |
33.8 |
1.2 |
44.5 |
| July, 2017 |
9.2 |
15.7 |
19.8 |
29.5 |
1.7 |
52.3 |
| August, 2017 |
8.5 |
55.9 |
24.8 |
72.8 |
1.1 |
49.6 |
| September, 2017 |
8.1 |
23.3 |
28.7 |
55.9 |
0.8 |
51.4 |
| October, 2017 |
6.2 |
10.5 |
29.2 |
44.0 |
0.6 |
46.3 |
| November, 2017 |
5.3 |
8.9 |
20.3 |
30.0 |
1.8 |
29.6 |
| December, 2017 |
7.9 |
16.9 |
27.8 |
52.8 |
0.7 |
65.2 |
| January, 2018 |
7.1 |
14.2 |
31.2 |
82.0 |
0.4 |
28.5 |
| February, 2018 |
7.2 |
13.2 |
28.2 |
60.3 |
0.5 |
29.0 |
| March, 2018 |
10.2 |
19.3 |
30.9 |
66.9 |
0.6 |
47.3 |
| April, 2018 |
12.2 |
22.3 |
32.7 |
55.5 |
0.7 |
41.1 |
| May, 2018 |
13.5 |
39.5 |
29.7 |
56.7 |
1.3 |
43.9 |
| June, 2018 |
7.8 |
14.9 |
14.2 |
22.2 |
1.0 |
40.1 |
| July, 2018 |
9.7 |
17.9 |
22.1 |
48.1 |
1.1 |
56.1 |
| August, 2018 |
7.9 |
19.4 |
18.4 |
30.3 |
1.1 |
37.9 |
| September, 2018 |
11.2 |
17.1 |
28.3 |
53.9 |
0.9 |
43.4 |
| January, 2019 |
12 |
|
29.1 |
|
|
|
| February, 2019 |
10 |
|
24.8 |
|
|
|
| Daily Target Exceedances |
|---|
| Reason in reports |
Pollutant |
Days |
| Unspecified regional event |
PM10 |
26/11/2015, 20/12/2017 |
| Unspecified local event |
PM2.5 |
11/5/2017 |
| PM10 |
8/10/2016, 15/1/2017, 16/1/2017, 4/3/2018, 20/3/2018, 19/9/2018 |
| Cold weather, resulting in "possible" (but unverified) emissions from wood heaters |
PM2.5 |
28/6/2017 |
| Construction |
PM10 |
27/4/2018 |
| Hazard reduction burning |
PM2.5 |
21/8/2015, 20/5/2016, 23/5/2016 |
| PM10 |
23/5/2016 |
| Hazard reduction burning and/or bushfire |
PM2.5 |
14/8/2017, 14/4/2018, 27/5/2018 |
| PM10 |
14/8/2017, 24/9/2017, 8/5/2018, 27/5/2018, 29/5/2018 |
| Bushfire |
PM10 |
15/2/2018, 16/2/2018, 19/3/2018 |
About the 28/6/2017 exceedance which is possibly due to wood fired heaters: Other sites only reported moderately elevated levels
(according to the report) while at St Peters we had nearly double. I actually had a look at the other sites in the same report.
They were well within limits. In the case of Rozelle, less than half the limit. So I am counting the St Peter PS exceedance as genuine.
The explanation of the March 2018 exceedances in the report were a little incoherent. I made sense of what was there as best as I could.
Monitoring at Princes Highway/Campbell Street
This monitoring station was decommissioned on April 28, 2016
| Month |
PM2.5 monthly average, μg/m3 (yearly allowed average is 8) |
PM2.5 highest 24 hours period, μg/m3 (allowed is 25) |
PM10 monthly average, μg/m3 (yearly allowed average is 25) |
PM10 highest 24 hours period, μg/m3 (allowed is 50) |
Highest CO rolling 8 hour average, ppm (allowed is 9) |
Highest NO2 hourly average, ppb (allowed is 120) |
| July, 2015 |
13.8 |
24.2 |
19.0 |
30.5 |
1.6 |
42.0 |
| August, 2015 |
10.8 |
14.6 |
16.3 |
20.8 |
1.0 |
41.0 |
| September, 2015 |
11.5 |
15.4 |
24.0 |
39.2 |
1.0 |
43.0 |
| October, 2015 |
14.0 |
18.9 |
31.5 |
54.1 |
0.7 |
60.2 |
| November, 2015 |
13.1 |
21.3 |
28.3 |
52.3 |
0.6 |
60.8 |
| December, 2015 |
PM 2.5 and PM10 figures are identical to the figures for West Botany Street, Arncliffe.
After analysis of the graphs in the report, I concluded that the figures for West Botany
Street were copied to the Princes Highway summary by mistake. |
| January, 2016 |
8.5 |
15.0 |
20.7 |
36.1 |
0.6 |
54.8 |
| February, 2016 |
6.9 |
10.9 |
22.6 |
37.9 |
0.5 |
51.4 |
| March, 2016 |
6.4 |
12.8 |
19.0 |
37.3 |
0.8 |
42.6 |
| April, 2016 |
8.5 |
15.3 |
20.9 |
32.7 |
1.0 |
54.2 |
| Daily Target Exceedances |
|---|
| Reason in reports |
Pollutant |
Days |
| Unspecified regional event |
PM10 |
7/10/2015, 26/11/2015 |
Canal Road St Peters
The Canal Road monitoring station was decommissioned on April 26, 2016
| Month |
PM2.5 monthly average, μg/m3 (yearly allowed average is 8) |
PM2.5 highest 24 hours period, μg/m3 (allowed is 25) |
PM10 monthly average, μg/m3 (yearly allowed average is 25) |
PM10 highest 24 hours period, μg/m3 (allowed is 50) |
Highest CO rolling 8 hour average, ppm (allowed is 9) |
Highest NO2 hourly average, ppb (allowed is 120) |
| July, 2015 |
8.9 |
14.6 |
28.1 |
54.5 |
1.7 |
44.2 |
| August, 2015 |
8.9 |
23.7 |
27.2 |
51.3 |
1.1 |
42.6 |
| September, 2015 |
7.4 |
13.6 |
25.1 |
45.8 |
0.8 |
44.8 |
| October, 2015 |
8.8 |
14.5 |
26.1 |
48.7 |
0.8 |
53.2 |
| November, 2015 |
7.7 |
13.2 |
28.6 |
44.7 |
0.6 |
50.0 |
| December, 2015 |
7.4 |
12.8 |
23.9 |
40.0 |
0.8 |
44.2 |
| January, 2016 |
6.3 |
12.9 |
27.1 |
44.7 |
0.6 |
42.2 |
| February, 2016 |
7.9 |
12.0 |
30.4 |
41.6 |
0.6 |
50.0 |
| March, 2016 |
6.6 |
15.1 |
26.7 |
50.7 |
0.8 |
45.6 |
| April, 2016 |
9.5 |
16.6 |
23.5 |
34.7 |
0.8 |
53.1 |
| Daily Target Exceedances |
|---|
| Reason in reports |
Pollutant |
Days |
| No reason given |
PM10 |
1/7/2015, 2/7/2015, 11/8/2015, 10/3/2015 |
Arncliffe (and nearby Banksia)
West Botany Street
| Month |
PM2.5 monthly average, μg/m3 (yearly allowed average is 8) |
PM2.5 highest 24 hours period, μg/m3 (allowed is 25) |
PM10 monthly average, μg/m3 (yearly allowed average is 25) |
PM10 highest 24 hours period, μg/m3 (allowed is 50) |
Highest CO rolling 8 hour average, ppm (allowed is 9) |
Highest NO2 hourly average, ppb (allowed is 120) |
| July, 2015 |
The report states:
"There is no reporting data for West Botany Street for July 2015 due to access issues." |
| August, 2015 |
The PM10 and PM2.5 are missing. The report states:
"Gaps in the PM10 and PM2.5 data collected were caused by technical
issues with the PM units and/or delays in the availability of collection materials." |
| September, 2015 |
10.8 |
14.7 |
20.2 |
34.4 |
0.6 |
57.0 |
| October, 2015 |
13.0 |
19.8 |
28.3 |
41.9 |
1.1 |
54.3 |
| November, 2015 |
10.2 |
19.0 |
22.4 |
46.0 |
0.5 |
59.4 |
| December, 2015 |
13.6 |
23.1 |
25.4 |
43.9 |
0.5 |
51.3 |
| January, 2016 |
7.9 |
26.3 |
20.7 |
32.5 |
0.5 |
59.3 |
| February, 2016 |
7.5 |
18.5 |
20.5 |
32.9 |
0.5 |
44.7 |
| March, 2016 |
8.6 |
15.7 |
15.9 |
27.5 |
0.7 |
41.8 |
| April, 2016 |
13.5 |
24.1 |
21.2 |
32.4 |
0.8 |
62.4 |
| May, 2016 |
16.1 |
39.3 |
25.8 |
54.1 |
1.4 |
48.4 |
| June, 2016 |
9.9 |
17.9 |
15.6 |
26.0 |
1.7 |
46.4 |
| Daily Target Exceedances |
|---|
| Reason in reports |
Pollutant |
Days |
| No reason given |
PM2.5 |
2/1/2016 |
| Hazard reduction burning |
PM2.5 |
8/5/2016, 9/5/2016, 10/5/2016, 20/5/2016, 23/5/2016, 24/5/2015 |
| PM10 |
23/5/2016, 24/5/2015 |
According to the February, 2016, New M5 Air Quality Report, The minimum 24 hours reading for
PM2.5 was -1.1 μg/m3. Obviously, air can't contain a negative amount of particles.
So, clearly the West Botany Street monitoring station was defective. I assume that some of the other,
if not all, PM2.5 readings are also below actual pollution. Unfortunately, I could not find an explanation in the report.
The January, 2016, report
states a 0.0 minimum reading but the graph actually drops below zero as well.
Bestic Street, Banksia
| Month |
PM2.5 monthly average, μg/m3 (yearly allowed average is 8) |
PM2.5 highest 24 hours period, μg/m3 (allowed is 25) |
PM10 monthly average, μg/m3 (yearly allowed average is 25) |
PM10 highest 24 hours period, μg/m3 (allowed is 50) |
Highest CO rolling 8 hour average, ppm (allowed is 9) |
Highest NO2 hourly average, ppb (allowed is 120) |
| July, 2015 |
13.1 |
22.5 |
15.7 |
27.8 |
1.5 |
36.0 |
| August, 2015 |
10.3 |
14.5 |
15.6 |
22.7 |
1.1 |
25.0 |
| September, 2015 |
11.6 |
15.4 |
18.2 |
28.0 |
0.8 |
21.0 |
| October, 2015 |
14.3 |
21.2 |
26.0 |
39.5 |
0.9 |
29.0 |
| November, 2015 |
13.1 |
20.7 |
24.8 |
47.2 |
0.6 |
32.3 |
| December, 2015 |
12.4 |
20.2 |
23.7 |
38.2 |
0.5 |
50.8 |
| January, 2016 |
10.3 |
19.5 |
22.7 |
34.5 |
0.6 |
34.4 |
| February, 2016 |
7.3 |
13.1 |
21.1 |
31.5 |
0.5 |
28.6 |
| March, 2016 |
5.3 |
11.9 |
15.2 |
28.2 |
0.8 |
33.8 |
| April, 2016 |
6.6 |
15.4 |
19.7 |
33.9 |
0.8 |
85.1 |
| May, 2016 |
10.9 |
33.9 |
19.8 |
51.6 |
1.2 |
44.6 |
| June, 2016 |
6.4 |
12.8 |
11.8 |
22.1 |
1.6 |
37.5 |
| Daily Target Exceedances |
|---|
| Reason in reports |
Pollutant |
Days |
| Hazard reduction burning |
PM2.5 |
23/5/2015 |
| PM10 |
23/5/2015 |
Kingsgrove (and nearby Beverly Hills)
Bexley Road, Kingsgrove
The Bexley Road monitoring station was decommissioned on April 27, 2016.
| Month |
PM2.5 monthly average, μg/m3 (yearly allowed average is 8) |
PM2.5 highest 24 hours period, μg/m3 (allowed is 25) |
PM10 monthly average, μg/m3 (yearly allowed average is 25) |
PM10 highest 24 hours period, μg/m3 (allowed is 50) |
Highest CO rolling 8 hour average, ppm (allowed is 9) |
Highest NO2 hourly average, ppb (allowed is 120) |
| July, 2015 |
9.6 |
19.9 |
18.8 |
31.1 |
2.1 |
45.0 |
| August, 2015 |
9.5 |
33.6 |
15.3 |
23.5 |
1.4 |
43.0 |
| September, 2015 |
7.0 |
10.8 |
16.6 |
28.4 |
1.1 |
44.0 |
| October, 2015 |
10.6 |
41.8 |
25.0 |
88.0 |
1.6 |
62.0 |
| November, 2015 |
9.2 |
15.8 |
17.8 |
33.2 |
0.8 |
59.1 |
| December, 2015 |
9.1 |
16.7 |
15.1 |
23.4 |
0.7 |
48.0 |
| January, 2016 |
6.3 |
13.6 |
14.3 |
25.5 |
0.6 |
40.7 |
| February, 2016 |
5.7 |
9.8 |
15.8 |
24.8 |
0.8 |
39.8 |
| March, 2016 |
5.2 |
11.8 |
13.4 |
23.2 |
0.8 |
43.8 |
| April, 2016 |
9.1 |
17.8 |
18.1 |
31.4 |
1.1 |
63.5 |
| Daily Target Exceedances |
|---|
| Reason in reports |
Pollutant |
Days |
| Hazard reduction burning |
PM2.5 |
21/8/2015 |
Beverly Hills Park, Beverly Hills
| Month |
PM2.5 monthly average, μg/m3 (yearly allowed average is 8) |
PM2.5 highest 24 hours period, μg/m3 (allowed is 25) |
PM10 monthly average, μg/m3 (yearly allowed average is 25) |
PM10 highest 24 hours period, μg/m3 (allowed is 50) |
Highest CO rolling 8 hour average, ppm (allowed is 9) |
Highest NO2 hourly average, ppb (allowed is 120) |
| July, 2015 |
8.3 |
18.5 |
missing |
missing |
1.7 |
36.0 |
| August, 2015 |
8.5 |
35.1 |
missing |
missing |
1.1 |
40.0 |
| September, 2015 |
5.5 |
10.1 |
16.6 |
29.9 |
0.7 |
35.5 |
| October, 2015 |
7.0 |
16.3 |
27.7 |
57.2 |
0.9 |
49.1 |
| November, 2015 |
6.6 |
11.3 |
14.4 |
18.1 |
0.4 |
48.5 |
| December, 2015 |
6.3 |
12.8 |
23.6 |
33.1 |
0.5 |
49.9 |
| January, 2016 |
7.2 |
15.6 |
21.8 |
34.3 |
0.6 |
38.8 |
| February, 2016 |
6.0 |
10.3 |
19.0 |
28.2 |
0.6 |
25.2 |
| March, 2016 |
5.3 |
11.4 |
14.6 |
22.9 |
0.6 |
33.1 |
| April, 2016 |
9.5 |
21.2 |
18.2 |
32.1 |
1.0 |
47.4 |
| May, 2016 |
10.8 |
35.5 |
21.4 |
48.7 |
1.1 |
43.9 |
| June, 2016 |
7.7 |
16.2 |
14.2 |
26.7 |
1.7 |
33.3 |
| Daily Target Exceedances |
|---|
| Reason in reports |
Pollutant |
Days |
| Unspecified regional event |
PM10 |
7/10/2015 |
| Hazard reduction burning |
PM2.5 |
21/8/2015, 23/5/2016, 24/5/2016 |