Continuous Emissions Monitoring provides information about pollutants released from industrial activities and helps the EPA assess potential impacts on air quality and the environment.
The EPA received two reports concerning airborne particle-concentrations and Respirable Crystalline Silica (RCS) levels near the Tasmanian Advanced Minerals (TAM) factory in Stennings Road, Wynyard, authored by Environmental Service and Design (ES&D) and Getex. These reports used measurements of airborne particle levels between November 2025 and February 2026 from a particle-monitor located near TAM.
The EPA has completed its assessment and review of the two reports, and the findings have been peer-reviewed and corroborated by the NSW EPA.
The EPA has concluded that there were deficiencies in the analysis of data by ES&D and Getex. As such, the EPA does not support the findings of the reports.
In summary:
The EPA found no clear evidence that dust detected in the monitoring data originated from the TAM stack plume.
The EPA analysis found that the vast majority of the measured signals of airborne particles presented in the ES&D and Getex reports can be attributable to sea salt aerosols, not RCS.
The EPA found no evidence of abnormal emissions from TAM's stack, or of baghouse failure during the monitoring period. Photographic evidence of the TAM plume presented in the reports was assessed as being consistent with water vapour.
The EPA's analysis found that most of the reported dust events presented in the ES&D and Getex reports occurred when TAM was not operating or when wind conditions would not have carried emissions from the TAM stack towards the monitoring equipment.
The characteristics of the dust events captured in the data were consistent with short-lived dust plumes most likely associated with vehicles or wind-raised dust.
The EPA will continue to regulate TAM through permit conditions covering stack emission limits, periodic stack testing, Continuous Emissions Monitoring System (CEMS) calibrating and maintenance, quarterly CEMS reporting, and automated factory shut down requirements.
EPA assessment of reports by ES&D and Getex concerning particle and RCS levels in Wynyard - August 2026 (PDF 11Mb)
See how aerosols move through the atmosphere
This NASA visualisation shows the movement of tiny particles through the atmosphere between 1 August and 14 September 2024, highlighting how aerosols can travel vast distances from their original source, and helping us understand the connections between air quality and weather.
GEOS Aerosols | NASA Scientific Visualization Studio