Plume Map
The Richmond Valley plume plotter shows a prediction of the current amount of air pollution (at ground level) caused by emissions from the proposed incinerator near Casino, NSW.
Plume Plotter predicts this fallout using AERMOD, which is one of the most widely used modelling systems for air pollution. It uses the latest local weather conditions and upper air data, which are obtained in real time. Because the incinerator does not yet exist, Plume Plotter does not use real-time information about its emissions. Instead, it assumes that the incinerator is operating continuously (8760 hours per year) and emitting pollutants at a constant rate. The model takes account of the real terrain in the vicinity of the incinerator.
This is an indicative plume plotter. The details of the incinerator are not yet available, so the parameters (stack height and diameter, and emission velocity and temperature) have been estimated from the annual throughput (380000 tonnes per annum). Emission rates have been estimated using these parameters together with the EU limits (2019 BREF) on pollutant concentrations. Similarly, because the incinerator buildings are not yet known, the model does not take account of these. Buildings near the stack may cause building downwash, which is expected to increase ground-level concentrations.
Disclaimer: While we believe that our predictions are as accurate as possible using the resources and information available to us, we make no claims or guarantees made about the correctness of the information presented on this website.
