MANAGING DUST IMPACTS FROM BLASTING USING AUTOMATED PROCEDURES INTEGRATING ON-LINE METEOROLOGY Yvonne Scorgie 1 and Brian Bell 2 1 Senior Manager, ENVIRON Australia, 100 Pacific Highway, North Sydney 2 Principal, ENVIRON Australia, 200 Adelaide Terrace, East Perth Abstract Blasting operations at surface mining operations typically comprise a small component of total annual particulate emissions. However, blasting can be a significant intermittent source of emissions, potentially giving rise to non- compliance incidents and community complaints. The application of automated blast guidance systems to ensure blasts do not take place during adverse meteorological conditions represent a key component of best practice dust management at surface mining operations. Such systems comprise site-specific weather assessment criteria, on-line meteorological monitoring data and case-specific blast characteristics. The development of tailored weather assessment criteria based on sub- hourly atmospheric dispersion simulations of blast events using site-specific meteorology, terrain, sensitive receptor and blast characteristics, is presented. Methods and results are presented for a Case Study Site comprising an open cut coal mining operation in New South Wales (NSW). Keywords: Open cut mining blasting best practice dust management 1. Introduction and Study Objective Blasting operations at surface mining operations typically comprise a small component of total annual particulate emissions from such operations. However, blasting can be a significant intermittent source of emissions which, if poorly managed, can result in large clouds of visible dust being dispersed off-site and potentially resulting in non-compliances and community complaints. Factors affecting the dust impact potential of blasts include: dust controls implemented, blast type and area affected, characteristics of the material being blasted, depth of the blast, prevailing meteorology and proximity of sensitive receptors. The restriction of blasts during periods of adverse meteorological conditions is routinely implemented as a dust control measure at surface mining operations. This practice ranges in complexity from manual implementation of „rule of thumb‟ wind field criteria to automated blast guidance systems tailored for use at specific mine sites. The development and implementation of automated blast guidance systems represents a key component of best practice dust management at surface mining operations. Such systems comprise site-specific weather assessment criteria, on-line meteorological monitoring data and case-specific blast characteristics. Weather assessment criteria specify adverse meteorological conditions to be avoided during blast operations, with such criteria being specified for a range of blast sizes and locations. The establishment of tailored weather assessment criteria based on sub-hourly atmospheric dispersion simulations of blast events using site-specific meteorology, terrain, sensitive receptor and blast characteristics, represents a key focus of the study. The method applied and results are presented for a Case Study Site comprising an open cut coal mining operation in New South Wales (NSW). The implementation of criteria within automated blast guidance systems, and future advances in such systems, are also explored. 1.1. Purpose of Blasting Guidance System The goals to be met by managing blast emissions must be understood prior to developing site-specific weather assessment criteria, with the method tailored to address such goals. Mining operations typically aim to ensure that blasts do not give rise to large dust plumes leaving the mine site, and that inhalable particle concentrations at sensitive receptor sites such as residences, are maintained within acceptable limits so as not to impact on health. When assessing the potential for visible dust clouds, it is pertinent to estimate total suspended