Air quality management is among our top priorities due to the negative impacts of pollutants, such as dust and particulate matter (PM₁₀ and PM_2.5) prevalent in mining areas. Our mitigation measures include:

• Application of chemical dust suppressants on unpaved road
• Adhering to all applicable legislative requirements
• Proactive air quality management planning
• Risk management
• Monitoring, measuring and reporting

During 2020, we focused on going beyond compliance and implemented our reviewed air quality management system at various BUs. Our BUs implemented systematic risk-based air quality management planning to ensure effective application and compliance with regulatory and stakeholder expectations, incorporation of future mine development changes and continuous reassessment. This process included detailed air quality impact assessments and redesigning our air quality monitoring programmes at each BU. We conducted air quality awareness and educational campaigns in our host communities to improve our stakeholders’ air pollution awareness.

In 2021, we will continue improving and reviewing our air quality management systems to ensure compliance and emissions reduction.

AIR QUALITY MANAGEMENT INITIATIVES

Objectives			Critical success factors			Method			Progress
Progressively reduce our air quality emissions within our operating boundary			Reduction in dust fallout and PM10 levels in all our operations			Dust fallout levels and PM10 concentrations reduced by applying best practice mitigation measures such as wet and chemical suppression of dust with continuous research and development of new dust suppression and air pollution mitigation technologies			A reduction in dust emissions in our operations, with increased compliance with the residential and non-residential dust fallout limits.

GOALS FOR AIR QUALITY MANAGEMENT

Goal			Target			Progress
Continuous dust fallout monitoring at all BUs			100% of all operations			Dust fallout monitoring undertaken as a priority at all BUs including greenfield projects
Initiating and continuously monitoring PM10 at all BUs			100% of all operations			PM10 monitoring initiated at some BUs with more monitoring campaigns planned for 2021
Meteorological monitoring to ensure availability of surface data for temperature, wind direction and wind speed (critical for dispersion modelling, baseline characterisation, ambient monitoring design, dust fallout monitoring and reporting, among others)			Third quarter of 2020*			Meteorological stations installed at some BUs
Ensuring compliance with dust fallout limits and air quality standards			Level below the regulated levels			Most BUs currently monitor dust fallout and PM10 and results are assessed for compliance with National Dust Control Regulations and National Ambient Air Quality Standards for PM10
Air quality awareness and education campaigns for various stakeholders			Third quarter of 2020#			Stakeholder engagement on air quality undertaken in some communities

*	Limited budget for meteorological station installation in 2020. However, this could change in 2021, with stations planned for implementation.
#	Third quarter 2020 was the target date based on responses from the BUs on when they would install weather stations.

DUST MITIGATION MEASURES

Our opencast mining activities (drilling, blasting, crushing, screening, transportation, materials handling, and windswept storage piles and exposed areas) unavoidably generate dust. Therefore, we consistently enhance our mitigation measures to reduce the significant impacts on the environment. Enhancements include:

• Applying chemical dust suppressants on primary-haul roads
• Wet suppression on sources such as open areas and secondary unpaved roads
• Vegetation on topsoil stockpiles and overburden material
• Avoiding blasts during high wind conditions
• Blast design optimisation
• Limited drop heights during offloading activities

Our mining operations monitor dust fallout rates and the results are assessed in terms of residential and non-residential limits outlined in the National Dust Control Regulations. Although our operations are required to comply with non-residential limits, some activities are close to residential areas or sensitive receptors. Therefore, we aim to minimise the impact of our operations on nearby residents.

In 2020, the dust fallout rate at most of our operations complied with the regulated residential and non-residential limits, as illustrated in the table below. This is due to effective dust suppression measures that are continuously implemented in our operations.

Dust fallout target	2020	2019	2018
Coal: 300 milligrams per square metre per day (mg/m2/day)	197	206	184

No exceedances of the residential limit were recorded for all our BUs in 2020. However, exceedances of the non-residential limit were recorded in some of the BUs as shown in the graph below.

Number of exceedances of non-residential dust fallout limit (January to December 2020)

Dust suppression at Belfast