Air Quality Impact Assessments

What is an air quality impact assessment?

An air quality assessment is a specialist technical study that evaluates how emissions from a proposed or existing operation affect surrounding air quality. You'll find them in most formal environmental impact assessments (EIA) of proposed projects, but they may also be commissioned independently for project approvals, licence compliance, and operational reviews.

1. What is the purpose of an air quality assessment?

   Mining, oil and gas, and industrial projects generate emissions. Whether those emissions create a compliance obligation, affect a nearby community, or trigger a formal EPA referral depends on what is being emitted, where it travels, and what it reaches. An air quality impact assessment answers those questions, and where required, defines what mitigation is needed and what form it should take.

2. What do you assess in an air quality assessment?

   Assessments cover a range of pollutants including criteria pollutants such as particulate matter (PM₁₀ and PM_2.5 total suspended particulate, metals and crystalline silica), nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide as well as a range of other pollutants including but not limited to air toxics and odour. Predicted or monitored concentrations are evaluated against relevant standards such as the National Environment Protection (Ambient Air Quality) Measure, relevant state ambient air quality criteria or workplace exposure standards, alongside any sector-specific thresholds that apply to the project.

3. When is an air quality assessment required?

   Air quality assessments are usually triggered by regulatory referrals, project approvals, licence conditions, or operational changes that introduce new emission sources, but community complaints and incidents can also create an obligation.

4. Where do air quality assessments fit in the EIA process?

   Regulators assess proposals against defined environmental factors. Air quality is one of those factors. The proponent's submissions must demonstrate that air emissions can be managed to meet the regulator's environmental objectives. The air quality assessment provides the technical evidence for that component of the submission.

5. What makes an air quality assessment technically defensible?

   A technically defensible assessment is built on reliable data, appropriate methods, and transparent assumptions. We structure our assessments to be clear, robust, and aligned with current criteria, ensuring they stand up to regulatory and independent review.