Whitehaven Coal : SUN-CCC Meeting Minutes and Environmental Monitoring Report April 2024

Sunnyside Coal Mine

Community Consultative Committee

Meeting #37

Environmental Monitoring Report

January 2023 - December 2024

Noise Monitoring

No noise monitoring carried out. Site activities were limited to weed treatment (spraying and slashing), tree planting and minor drainage works.

Blasting

There has been no blasting during the reporting period, all site blasting has ceased.

Air Quality Monitoring

Deposited Dust

The annual averages for deposited dusts at all monitoring locations remain below the criteria of 4g/m2/month average over the reporting period. One site exceeded annual average criteria due to agricultural activities in the paddock where the dust gauge is located. High dust values were reported in Annual Review.

Table 1: Depositional Dust gauge readings (Insoluble Matter g/m2/month)

Whitehaven Coal Mining Limited ABN 65 086 426 253

Dust PM10 Data

SCM has one High Volume Air Sampler (HVAS - PM10) located at the property Illili (EPL ID 7), to the north-west of the mine site which takes a sample every 6 days for a 24h period. The annual mean value for 2023 was 5.58 μg/m³ within the EA annual prediction of 22.1 μg/m3. Data reported is for the period 1 January 2023 - 10 August 2023. Thirty-eight samples were taken with 0 events that were over the 24hr, 50 μg/m³ guideline limit.

Table 2: Illili PM10 High Volume Air Sampler results

Whitehaven Coal Mining Limited ABN 65 086 426 253

The 12-month (PM10) samples and rolling average (PM10) for 2023 are illustrated below.

Whitehaven Coal Mining Limited ABN 65 086 426 253

Groundwater Monitoring

Groundwater monitoring is undertaken from a range of monitoring piezometers and water bores both within and surrounding the mine site. Standing Water Level (SWL) checks are undertaken on a quarterly basis, with full water quality sampling undertaken on a 6 monthly basis.

Groundwater levels have remained stable and reflect reduced rainfall and dryer climatic conditions. Mine void was closed and made free draining in December 2020.

There has been no groundwater extraction. Groundwater licence has been transferred to another site.

Whitehaven Coal Mining Limited ABN 65 086 426 253

Whitehaven Coal Mining Limited ABN 65 086 426 253

Whitehaven Coal Mining Limited ABN 65 086 426 253

Surface Water

Surface water sampling of storages onsite continues to be carried out on a quarterly basis by ALS Contractors.

Complaints

No complaints have been received for the Sunnyside Coal Mine since the previous CCC meeting.

Rehabilitation

Rehabilitation to final landform and seeding was completed in 2020. Rehabilitation undertaken during the 2023 reporting period included aftercare and maintenance of rehabilitated areas and infill planting on void slopes and woodland area west of the void joining western conservation corridor and existing remnant woodland on Sunnyside Hill. Plantings consisted of White box, Kurrajong, Narrow leafed iron bark, Blakely Red Gum, Re Ash, Tumble Down Gum, Large Mock-Olive and Native Olive.

Highwall drain was completed in 2023.

General Rehab:

• Detailed annual ecological survey - Undertaken in October - November 2023.
• Weed treatment including spraying and slashing.
• Ongoing tube stock planting.
• Pasture trial - controlling buffel grass to promote native pasture species establishment.

Note EPA licence was surrendered on 13 June 2023, all monitoring required under the EPA licence has ceased. Remainign monitoring is includes, groundwater and surface water, weeds and pests and annual ecological monitoring, and monthly site inspection.

Whitehaven Coal Mining Limited ABN 65 086 426 253

Woodland Domain - Surface cover

In the 2023 monitoring year, all rehabilitation areas met the phase-specific completion criterion target except for the rehabilitation established in 2012, which was slightly below the threshold (see figure below).

Whitehaven Coal Mining Limited ABN 65 086 426 253

Pasture Domain - Surface Cover

To achieve the completion criterion target for this indicator, surface cover is to be greater than 85% during the Ecosystem Development Phase (RMP tbl 12). Additionally, no bare surfaces greater than 20 m x 20 m in area or greater than 10 m in length down slope are to be present at year 5 following establishment (RMP tbl 12). No rehabilitation sites were recorded as having large bare surfaces. Pasture domain surface cover results shown in figure below.

Whitehaven Coal Mining Limited ABN 65 086 426 253